Definition of covenantnext
1
as in treaty
a formal agreement between two or more nations or peoples the two countries signed a peace covenant that, it was hoped, would put an end to decades of bitter conflict

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2
3
as in agreement
an arrangement about action to be taken the covenant that existed among neighbors in olden times whereby they would quickly respond to the call to help put out one another's house fires

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1
as in to bargain
to come to an arrangement as to a course of action a traditional rule held that a husband could not enter into a covenant with his wife, because that was the equivalent of covenanting with himself

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2
as in to promise
to make a solemn declaration of intent the home buyers had to covenant that they would restore and keep the house for at least 10 years in exchange for a low mortgage rate

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of covenant
Noun
Reasonable covenants requiring native plants, limiting turfgrass and encouraging renewable energy can produce positive changes in neighborhood landscapes. Daniel Kramer, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026 Covenant Between the University and Society Perhaps most at risk is the long-standing covenant between the university and society. Daniel Diermeier, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 His resulting exploration tracks the ways in which Black residents were effectively segregated, through racial covenants and redlining, and overpoliced. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 20 July 2026 Your book deals with a piece of legislation called the Rumford Act that would tear down the city’s racist racial housing covenants in 1963, but the act in ’62 had enemies in high places, namely Mayor Sam Yorty and his power base. Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for covenant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for covenant
Noun
  • That help for Russia now comes with a mutual defense treaty inked two years ago with Vladimir Putin.
    Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • As South Korea and Japan contemplate acquiring the bomb, the START treaty has expired, and China won't negotiate on arms control.
    Editorial Board, Washington Post, 16 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • In May, Peevy was given a contract extension through 2031, the financial terms of which have not been disclosed.
    Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Democratic members of the Public Service Commission, the state’s energy regulator, say the contract is risky for Georgia’s residential customers.
    AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The Virgo Moon moves through your 8th House of Intimacy and Shared Resources, highlighting money, emotional stakes, private agreements, and what needs more precision.
    Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The Republican nominee also said the work agreements that allow many state employees to perform their jobs remotely need reform as well.
    Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Alongside promotions and deadlines, many young women are also privately bargaining with time and their bodies.
    Anna Russell, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The exemption shields bargained rules related to wages, hours and other working conditions from antitrust scrutiny.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Still, the defense attorney immediately promised an appeal based on unspecified concerns about the judge’s rulings during the trial.
    Andy Rose, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Brentford will be hoping promising midfielder Antoni Milambo can contribute after his debut season was ruined by an ACL injury in October.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • That means even products that otherwise qualify for preferential treatment under the North American trade pact could have been included in these duties.
    Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The countries have held joint military drills and signed a nuclear power development pact and agreed to cooperate in human space flight projects including the selection and training of Myanmar’s first cosmonaut.
    ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Past performance is no guarantee of future results, remember.
    Frank Holmes, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Adult usage is holding steady, and there’s no guarantee that young people will continue abstaining.
    Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, The Conversation, 17 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Instead of following the hypercar convention of using a carbon-fiber monocoque, Okuyama selected an aluminum spaceframe.
    Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Yet Saint-Tropez remains stubbornly itself, with social rituals and unspoken conventions that aren't always obvious at first.
    Lanie Goodman, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Covenant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/covenant. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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