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
(2)
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
In a statement, the group said Labour, which is leading in polls and widely expected by pundits and politicians to lead the next government, needs to go further and sign a treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030.
—
Brian Melley, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 June 2024
Some analysts say the pact reads more like a formal defense treaty than a partnership agreement.
—Helen Regan, CNN, 20 June 2024
The United States, under a treaty of 1915, took control of Haiti’s finances, including customs collection; installed its own president, Philippe Sudre Dartiguenave; and rewrote the Haitian constitution to remove a ban on foreign land ownership.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 June 2024
Read More: Ukraine Can’t Win the War President Putin so far showed no intention to engage with the Ukrainian peace plan, signing a treaty on military aid with North Korea and touring Vietnam in a snub to U.S. criticism.
—Aliaksandr Kudrytski / Bloomberg, TIME, 20 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for treaty 
Brian Melley, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 June 2024
Some analysts say the pact reads more like a formal defense treaty than a partnership agreement.
—Helen Regan, CNN, 20 June 2024
The United States, under a treaty of 1915, took control of Haiti’s finances, including customs collection; installed its own president, Philippe Sudre Dartiguenave; and rewrote the Haitian constitution to remove a ban on foreign land ownership.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 June 2024
Read More: Ukraine Can’t Win the War President Putin so far showed no intention to engage with the Ukrainian peace plan, signing a treaty on military aid with North Korea and touring Vietnam in a snub to U.S. criticism.
—Aliaksandr Kudrytski / Bloomberg, TIME, 20 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for treaty
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.
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Cite this Entry
“Treaty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/treaty. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
treaty
noun
trea·ty
ˈtrēt-ē 
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
a
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 treaties—U.S. Constitution art. II
compare executive agreement
U.S. Constitution art. II3
: 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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