treaty
/ˈtɹiti/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.31 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A formal binding agreement concluded by subjects of international law, namely, states and international organizations; a convention, a pact.
Countable
noun
Chiefly in in treaty: discussions or negotiations in order to reach an agreement.
Archaic; Uncountable
noun
Chiefly in private treaty: an agreement or settlement reached following negotiations; a compact, a contract, a covenant.
Archaic; Countable
Example Sentences
- "to sign a peace treaty"
- "to write up a treaty touching climate change"
- "[T]he Duke of Britaine hauing beene an Hoſte, and a kind of Parent or Foſter-father to the King, in his tenderneſſe of age, and vveakneſſe of fortune, did looke for at this time from King Henry (the renovvned King of England) rather braue Troupes for his Succours, then a vaine Treatie of Peace."
- "Soon after his [James VI and I's] coming to the Crown of England he entered into ſecret treaties with Spain, in order to the forcing the States to a peace: […]"
- "Exportation was encouraged ſometimes by dravvbacks, ſometimes by bounties, ſometimes by advantageous treaties of commerce with foreign ſtates, and ſometimes by eſtabliſhment of colonies in diſtant countries."
- "To a meeting of the executors of late Viscˢˢᵉ Mordaunt's estate, to consider of the sale of Parsons Greene; being in treaty with Mr. Loftus, and to settle the halfe yeare's account."
Etymology
The noun is derived from Middle English trete, trety (“bargaining, negotiation; discussion; conference, meeting; entreaty, persuasion; agreement, contract, covenant; arrangement, settlement; agreement between two rulers, states, etc.; written work on a particular subject, treatise; subdivision of a written work, section”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman treté, traité, treaté, and Old French traité, traitié [and other forms] (modern French traité (“agreement between two rulers, states, etc.; treatise”)); traité or traitié is: * a noun use of the past participle of traiter (“to treat; to deal with, handle”), from Latin tractāre, the present active infinitive of tractō (“to drag, haul, tug; to handle, manage; to debate, discuss; to exercise, practise; to perform, transact”), from trahō (“to drag, pull”) + -tō (frequentative suffix); and * also from Latin tractātum (“written work on a particular subject, treatise”), from Latin tractātus (“dragged, hauled, tugged; handled, managed; exercised, practised; performed, transacted”), the perfect passive participle of tractō (see above). The verb is derived from the noun.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: trete, treté, traité, tractāre, tractātum, tractātus
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈtɹiti/
- British English: /ˈtɹiːti/
Usage
Inflected Forms
treaties (plural)
treaties (present, singular)
treatying (participle, present)
treatied (participle, past)
treatied (past)
Derived Forms
Phrases
peace treaty
treaty battleship
Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance
treaty port
unequal treaty
exchange of letters
exchange of notes