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
Like Israel, the U.S. is not a party to the international treaty that established the ICC.
—
Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2025
The treaty allowed for duty-free imports of Hawaiian sugar and other agricultural products into the U.S.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2025
Flashback: Then-President Jimmy Carter signed treaties with Panama's leader in 1977 for the U.S. to gradually cede control of the canal, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
—Sareen Habeshian, Axios, 6 Feb. 2025
Cross-border water politics Mexico and the United States manage water allocations in the border region mainly under two treaties: a 1906 agreement focused on the Upper Rio Grande Basin and a 1944 treaty covering the Colorado River and Lower Rio Grande.
—Gabriel Eckstein, The Conversation, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for treaty 
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Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2025
The treaty allowed for duty-free imports of Hawaiian sugar and other agricultural products into the U.S.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2025
Flashback: Then-President Jimmy Carter signed treaties with Panama's leader in 1977 for the U.S. to gradually cede control of the canal, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
—Sareen Habeshian, Axios, 6 Feb. 2025
Cross-border water politics Mexico and the United States manage water allocations in the border region mainly under two treaties: a 1906 agreement focused on the Upper Rio Grande Basin and a 1944 treaty covering the Colorado River and Lower Rio Grande.
—Gabriel Eckstein, The Conversation, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for treaty
Articles Related to treaty
Dictionary Entries Near treaty
Cite this Entry
“Treaty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/treaty. Accessed 10 Feb. 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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