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
Going beyond these numbers, Dennis Alme de Visscher added that co-production agreements and audiovisual treaties were key in developing the Canadian animation landscape.
—
Kevin Giraud, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
This month the last bilateral nuclear treaty between Russia and the United States expired.
—NPR, 13 Feb. 2026
Under the provisions, only foreign nationals holding temporary work visas, such as H‑2B, H‑1B or temporary investor visas from treaty countries, known as E‑2 visas, may be eligible.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 12 Feb. 2026
The limits of the New START treaty New START, signed in 2010 by then-President Obama and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, was the last of a long series of agreements between Moscow and Washington to limit their nuclear arsenals, starting with SALT I in 1972.
—Vladimir Isachenkov, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for treaty
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Kevin Giraud, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
This month the last bilateral nuclear treaty between Russia and the United States expired.
—NPR, 13 Feb. 2026
Under the provisions, only foreign nationals holding temporary work visas, such as H‑2B, H‑1B or temporary investor visas from treaty countries, known as E‑2 visas, may be eligible.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 12 Feb. 2026
The limits of the New START treaty New START, signed in 2010 by then-President Obama and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, was the last of a long series of agreements between Moscow and Washington to limit their nuclear arsenals, starting with SALT I in 1972.
—Vladimir Isachenkov, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for treaty
Cite this Entry
“Treaty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/treaty. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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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