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''covenant'' ▫ᴱᴺ｜Definition｜1st｜20260708144405-00-⌔

covenant - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

Noun

covenant (plural covenants)

  • (law) An agreement to do or not do a particular thing.
  • (law) A promise, incidental to a deed or contract, either express or implied.
  • A pact or binding agreement between two or more parties (often one that is religious or religiously-based).
  • An incidental clause in an agreement.

Verb

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

  • To enter into, or promise something by, a covenant.
    • ✤ Jupiter Covenanted with him, that it should be Hot or Cold, Wet or Dry, […] as the Tenant should Direct.1
    • ✤ and they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver2
  • (law) To enter a formal agreement.
  • (law) To bind oneself in contract.
  • (law) To make a stipulation.

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈkʌv.ən.ənt/, /ˈkʌv.nənt/
  • Audio (US): 🔊
  • Rhymes: -ʌvənənt, -ʌvnənt

Printed 2026-07-08.

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Footnotes

  1. 1692, Roger L’Estrange, “”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC: ↩

  2. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 26:15: ↩