covenant

1 of 2

noun

cov·​e·​nant ˈkəv-nənt How to pronounce covenant (audio)
ˈkə-və-
1
: a usually formal, solemn, and binding agreement : compact
… international law, which depends upon the sanctity of covenants between rulers.George H. Sabine
2
a
: a written agreement or promise usually under seal between two or more parties especially for the performance of some action
the deed conveying the land contained restrictive covenants
b
: the common-law action to recover damages for breach of such a contract
covenantal adjective

covenant

2 of 2

verb

cov·​e·​nant ˈkəv-nənt How to pronounce covenant (audio)
-ˌnant,
ˈkə-və-
covenanted; covenanting; covenants

transitive verb

: to promise by a covenant : pledge

intransitive verb

: to enter into a covenant : contract

Examples of covenant in a Sentence

Noun an international covenant on human rights The restrictive covenants of the building development prohibit the construction of buildings over 30 feet tall. Verb 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 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
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The same can’t be said of anti-Zionism. Antisemitism in America has consisted mostly of small things: exclusion from country clubs, restrictive covenants on housing, quotas in college admissions, casual slights and insults. Joshua Muravchik, WSJ, 22 Dec. 2023 Lee was large-scale developer and skilled politician who attached his properties to racially restrictive covenants that limited who could live there. Nicole Asbury, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2023 People of color were barred by local covenants from many white neighborhoods. George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2023 Just seven years after the Puritans’ arrival, an Anglican lawyer named Thomas Morton published a book that threatened the young colony and its residents’ covenant with God. Colleen Connolly, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Oct. 2023 That’s true in my city of Oakland, which is much more diverse than Albany, but also has that history of racially restrictive covenants and redlining and Ku Klux Klan activity. Soumya Karlamangla, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2023 The referees have in effect decided that players are entertainers, and therefore have a duty to provide as much entertainment as possible, as if a ticket or a television subscription is a form of covenant with the teams themselves. Rory Smith, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2023 Over the past several years Eat Just negotiated with the investor to reduce that covenant by roughly half, sources claim, which allowed the company to keep less money in the bank than previously required. Matt Reynolds, WIRED, 16 Nov. 2023 The original Hamas charter, or covenant, was a nine-thousand-word treatise adopted shortly after the group’s founding. David Remnick, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2023
Verb
USA TODAY NETWORK LOS ANGELES — Alien: Covenant edged out Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in a weekend space battle at the box office. Sandy Cohen, USA TODAY, 21 May 2017 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'covenant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from present participle of covenir to be fitting, from Latin convenire

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of covenant was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near covenant

Cite this Entry

“Covenant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/covenant. Accessed 9 Jan. 2024.

Kids Definition

covenant

1 of 2 noun
cov·​e·​nant ˈkəv-(ə-)nənt How to pronounce covenant (audio)
: a solemn agreement : contract

covenant

2 of 2 verb
cov·​e·​nant ˈkəv-(ə-)nənt How to pronounce covenant (audio)
-ə-ˌnant
1
: to promise by a covenant : pledge
2
: to enter into a covenant

Legal Definition

covenant

noun
cov·​e·​nant ˈkə-və-nənt How to pronounce covenant (audio)
1
: an official agreement or compact
an international covenant on human rights
2
a
: a contract in its entirety or a promise within a contract for the performance or nonperformance of a particular act
a covenant not to sue
specifically : a promise relating to the transfer, possession, or ownership of real property see also covenant not to compete, restrictive covenant
b
: a warranty in a deed assuring the grantee especially against defects in title
a covenant for quiet enjoyment
see also run
3
: a common-law action to recover damages for breach of a contract under seal compare assumpsit, debt
covenant verb

More from Merriam-Webster on covenant

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