Treaty
A binding agreement between nations. A record of what's ignored when convenient.
How We Say It
tree·tee
Where It Comes From
Old French traité, from Latin tractatus — handling, treatment. From tractare — to handle, manage. Treaties have governed relations between states since ancient times — one of the oldest known is the 1259 BCE treaty between Egypt and the Hittites.
How It's Been Used
Under the US Constitution, treaties require a two-thirds Senate vote to ratify and have the force of federal law. In practice, the United States has signed and violated treaties with Native nations (over 500 signed, all broken), maintained nuclear treaties and withdrawn from them, and joined international agreements through executive action that subsequent administrations have reversed. The word implies binding obligation; the history of treaties reveals the gap between that implication and practice.