covenant

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English, borrowed from Old French covenant (“agreement”), from Latin conveniēns, conveniēntem (“agreeing, agreeable, suitable, convenient”), present participle of conveniō (“to agree”). Cognate with convenient.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈkʌv.ən.ənt/
  • Audio (US)(file)

Noun

covenant (plural covenants)

  1. (law) An agreement to do or not do a particular thing.
  2. (law) A promise, incidental to a deed or contract, either express or implied.
  3. A pact or binding agreement between two or more parties.
  4. An incidental clause in an agreement.

Synonyms

Translations

Verb

covenant (third-person singular simple present covenants, present participle covenanting, simple past and past participle covenanted)

  1. to enter into, or promise something by, a covenant
    • L'Estrange
      Jupiter covenanted with him, that it should be hot or cold, wet or dry, […] as the tenant should direct.
    • Bible, Matthew xxvi. 15
      and they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver
  2. (law) To enter a formal agreement.
  3. (law) To bind oneself in contract.
  4. (law) To make a stipulation.

Translations

Further reading
  • covenant in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
  • covenant in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
  • covenant at OneLook Dictionary Search
  • “covenant” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2019.

Old French

Etymology

From Latin conveniēns, conveniēntem (“agreeing, agreeable, suitable, convenient”), present participle of conveniō (“to agree”).

Verb

covenant

  1. present participle of covenir

Noun

covenant m (oblique plural covenanz or covenantz, nominative singular covenanz or covenantz, nominative plural covenant)

  1. covenant
    • circa 1150, Thomas d'Angleterre, Le Roman de Tristan, page 220 (of the Champion Classiques edition, →ISBN, line 2895:
      Del convenant vus deit membrer
      You must remember the convenant

Descendants
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.