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
The Nez Perce Tribe holds exclusive treaty rights to fish, hunt and gather on the land where the mine is planned.
—
Kevin Fixler
september 20, Idaho Statesman, 20 Sep. 2025
It was followed by the Montreal Protocol in 1987, a treaty that saw participating countries phase out the production of substances responsible for depleting the ozone layer.
—New Atlas, 20 Sep. 2025
Tribal leaders claimed the process ignored the federal government’s responsibility to protect tribal treaty rights.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 19 Sep. 2025
By 1900, a treaty was accepted and signed acknowledging this extinction.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for treaty
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show current usage.
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Kevin Fixler
september 20, Idaho Statesman, 20 Sep. 2025
It was followed by the Montreal Protocol in 1987, a treaty that saw participating countries phase out the production of substances responsible for depleting the ozone layer.
—New Atlas, 20 Sep. 2025
Tribal leaders claimed the process ignored the federal government’s responsibility to protect tribal treaty rights.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 19 Sep. 2025
By 1900, a treaty was accepted and signed acknowledging this extinction.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for treaty
Cite this Entry
“Treaty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/treaty. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
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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