treaty
TREE-tee
Treaty (noun) means a formal, legally binding agreement between countries or international organizations. Example: “The two nations signed a peace treaty ending decades of conflict.”
noun
1
A formal, legally binding agreement between countries or international organizations.
"The two nations signed a peace treaty ending decades of conflict."
"Several countries agreed to a treaty to protect the oceans from pollution."
"The treaty requires every member to share information about shipping."
"to write up a treaty touching climate change"
2
Negotiations aimed at reaching an agreement.
"The two parties entered into treaty over the disputed border."
"The delegates remained in treaty over trading rights until late evening."
"Both sides were still in treaty when the harbour froze over."
How to use treaty
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA treaty is an official agreement between nations, usually reached after formal negotiation.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
sign a treaty
peace treaty
trade treaty
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Word forms
- Plural
- treaties
- Third person singular
- treaties
- Past tense
- treatied
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The two nations signed a peace _____ ending decades of conflict.
Etymology
From Old French traitié, ultimately from Latin tractāre, "to handle" — the same root as "treat."
Synonyms
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Rhymes for treaty
See all rhymes for treaty →Frequently asked questions
What does “treaty” mean?
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.
How do you pronounce “treaty”?
“Treaty” is pronounced TREE-tee (/ˈtɹiti/ in IPA).
How do you use “treaty” in a sentence?
Here is “treaty” used in a sentence: “The two nations signed a peace treaty ending decades of conflict.”
What part of speech is “treaty”?
“Treaty” is a noun.
Where does the word “treaty” come from?
The word “treaty” comes from Latin. From Old French traitié, ultimately from Latin tractāre, "to handle" — the same root as "treat.".
Is “treaty” a common word?
“Treaty” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
How many meanings does “treaty” have?
“Treaty” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a formal, legally binding agreement between countries or international organizations.
What is the difference between a treaty and an agreement?
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.
What is the difference between a treaty and a pact?
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."
What is the difference between a treaty and a convention?
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.
What preposition goes with '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.
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