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Pact has "peace" at its root because a pact often ends a period of unfriendly relations. The word is generally used in the field of international relations, where diplomats may speak of an "arms pact", a "trade pact", or a "fishing-rights pact". But it may also be used for any solemn agreement or promise between two people; after all, whenever two parties shake hands on a deal, they're not about to go to war with each other.
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Examples of pact in a Sentence
Maria Abi-Habib, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025
With longstanding divisions apparent among ministers, Israel delayed meetings expected on Thursday when the cabinet was expected to vote on the pact, blaming Hamas for the hold-up.
—Andrew Mills, USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2025
The huis close follows the clients and bar staff of a shabby cafe outside Paris in the early hours of the morning, who enter into a deadly pact when an elderly regular comes in and wins €294 million in the lottery.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 16 Jan. 2025
Fox Sports previously showed the U.S. Open in a pact with U.S. Golf Association, but got out of that deal in 2020 due to pressures under the coronavirus pandemic.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 16 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Pact.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pact. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
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pact
nounMiddle English pact "agreement," from early French pact (same meaning), from Latin pactum (same meaning), derived from pacisci "to agree, contract"
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