treaty

noun

trea·​ty ˈtrē-tē How to pronounce treaty (audio)
plural treaties
1
a
: an agreement or arrangement made by negotiation:
(1)
: a contract in writing between two or more political authorities (such as states or sovereigns) formally signed by representatives duly authorized and usually ratified by the lawmaking authority of the state
b
: a document in which such a contract is set down
2
: the action of treating and especially of negotiating

Examples of treaty in a Sentence

a nuclear test ban treaty in accordance with a treaty between the United States and the tribes of the Pacific Northwest, commercial fishing of certain kinds of salmon is limited to Native Americans
Recent Examples on the Web Philippine Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual raised the issue in a meeting Monday with U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, who was leading a U.S. business delegation in Manila to further expand trade and investment in America’s oldest treaty ally in Asia. Jim Gomez, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024 Egyptian officials have warned that any action that sends Gazans spilling into Egypt could potentially jeopardize a decades-old treaty. Vivian Nereim, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024 These ambiguities became a problem almost as soon as the treaty was signed. Aaron Bateman, Foreign Affairs, 7 Mar. 2024 The operation of Zaporizhzhia, like that of all nuclear-power plants, is subject to international law, and to regular inspections by the IAEA, a treaty organization that reports to the United Nations. Nataliya Gumenyuk, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2024 The two military leaders are alleged to have directed attacks at civilian objects and caused excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects, both war crimes under the Rome Statue, the international treaty that founded the ICC. Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 This provision allows any state that is a party to the treaty to file a lawsuit against any other state party. Jill Goldenziel, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 The treaty with Australia, announced by previous Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in November, offered Tuvaluans an option of resettlement in Australia to escape rising oceans and worsening storms. Rod McGuirk The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 3 Mar. 2024 Moreover, the Court may choose to allow erga omnes partes claims in cases involving other treaties, including various human rights conventions and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Jill Goldenziel, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'treaty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English trete, from Anglo-French treté, from past participle of treter to discuss, treat

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of treaty was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near treaty

Cite this Entry

“Treaty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/treaty. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

treaty

noun
trea·​ty ˈtrēt-ē How to pronounce treaty (audio)
plural treaties
: an agreement or arrangement made by negotiation
especially : one between two or more states or rulers

Legal Definition

treaty

noun
trea·​ty
plural treaties
1
: the action of treating and especially of negotiating
2
: an agreement or arrangement made by negotiation: as
b
: a contract in writing between two or more political authorities (as states or sovereigns) formally signed by representatives duly authorized and usually ratified by the lawmaking authority of the state
the President…shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treatiesU.S. Constitution art. II
compare executive agreement
3
: a document embodying a negotiated agreement or contract
4
: an agreement or contract (as between companies) providing for treaty reinsurance
Etymology

Anglo-French treté, from Middle French traité, from Medieval Latin tractatus, from Latin, handling, treatment, from tractare to treat, handle

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