treaty

The word “treaty” means a formal, legally binding agreement between countries or international organizations. In plain terms, a treaty is an official agreement between nations, usually reached after formal negotiation.

“Treaty” is pronounced TREE-tee (/ˈtɹiti/ in IPA).

Here is “treaty” used in a sentence: “The two nations signed a peace treaty ending decades of conflict.”

“Treaty” is a noun.

The word “treaty” comes from Latin. From Old French traitié, ultimately from Latin tractāre, "to handle" — the same root as "treat.".

“Treaty” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Treaty” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a formal, legally binding agreement between countries or international organizations.

A treaty is a formal, legally binding agreement specifically between countries or international organizations, while an "agreement" is a broader term that can be formal or informal and made between any parties. All treaties are agreements, but not all agreements rise to the level of a treaty.

Both are formal agreements between nations, but "treaty" is the standard legal term for a binding international document, while "pact" is often less technical and can suggest a solemn or strategic understanding. In everyday use they overlap, though official documents almost always use "treaty."

A treaty is often an agreement between a limited number of states, while a convention is commonly a multilateral treaty setting broad rules that many countries can join. Both are legally binding, and "convention" is simply a common name for a particular kind of treaty.

You make "a treaty with" another country, sign "a treaty between" two or more parties, and agree "a treaty on" a particular subject, as in "a treaty on trade." These prepositions signal the parties involved and the topic covered.