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Pact has "peace" at its root because a pact often ends a period of unfriendly relations. The word is generally used in the field of international relations, where diplomats may speak of an "arms pact", a "trade pact", or a "fishing-rights pact". But it may also be used for any solemn agreement or promise between two people; after all, whenever two parties shake hands on a deal, they're not about to go to war with each other.
Examples of pact in a Sentence
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Late last year, the Lake Station Board of Works and New Chicago forged a pact calling for Lake Station to provide ambulance service for $50,000 annually, according to Long, who said the contract would be reviewed at the end of the year.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
The questions came up because Goldschmidt’s pact also comes with a new job description, as the former MVP is expected to be a role player.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
That pact is partly about protection, said Naomi Hossain, a professor of Development Studies at SOAS University of London.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Pact.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pact. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pact
nounMiddle English pact "agreement," from early French pact (same meaning), from Latin pactum (same meaning), derived from pacisci "to agree, contract"
