agrement
C1Formal to neutral. The word is suitable for professional, academic, and legal contexts.
Definition
Meaning
A mutual understanding or arrangement between two or more parties; a formal decision or contract.
A state of harmony or concord; the absence of conflict or dissent; the act of agreeing.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
'Agreement' often implies a formal, documented arrangement, but can also refer to a less formal consensus or a grammatical feature (e.g., subject-verb agreement).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling: In legal contexts, 'agreement' is standard in both. Usage frequency is similar, though 'contract' is more common in specific legal phrasing in the US.
Connotations
In both dialects, it carries a formal, binding connotation, especially in legal/business contexts.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both BrE and AmE across formal and informal registers.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
agreement on [topic]agreement with [person/organisation]agreement between [party] and [party]agreement to [verb]in agreement withVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “gentleman's agreement”
- “in agreement”
- “a meeting of minds”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
A formal document outlining the terms of employment or a commercial deal.
Academic
Referring to consensus in a field (e.g., 'There is widespread agreement that...') or grammatical agreement.
Everyday
Used for informal arrangements (e.g., 'We have an agreement to split the chores.')
Technical
In law, a legally binding arrangement; in linguistics, the grammatical matching of features.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- We need to agree the contract details.
- They agreed a price for the house.
American English
- We need to agree on the contract details.
- They agreed on a price for the house.
adverb
British English
- She nodded agreeably to the suggestion.
- The meeting proceeded agreeably.
American English
- He smiled agreeably at the proposal.
- The negotiations ended agreeably for both sides.
adjective
British English
- The agreeable climate made the holiday perfect.
- He was in an agreeable mood.
American English
- The agreeable weather made the trip perfect.
- She found his terms quite agreeable.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- We have an agreement to meet at 5 pm.
- I am in agreement with you.
- The two companies signed a trade agreement.
- There was no agreement on the main point.
- After lengthy negotiations, they finally reached a mutual agreement.
- The grammatical agreement between subject and verb is essential.
- The peace agreement was brokered by a neutral third party.
- A tacit agreement existed between the departments to share resources.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'agree' + 'ment' – a state or result of agreeing.
Conceptual Metaphor
AGREEMENT IS A BRIDGE (connecting two parties), AGREEMENT IS A BOND (tying parties together).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'согласие' (which can also mean 'consent' in a more personal sense).
- In legal contexts, 'agreement' is closer to 'договор' or 'соглашение', not just 'согласие'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'agreement of' instead of 'agreement with' or 'agreement on'.
- Confusing 'agreement' (n.) with 'agree' (v.) in sentence structure.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is NOT a common collocation with 'agreement'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
All contracts are agreements, but not all agreements are contracts. A 'contract' is a specific type of legally enforceable agreement.
Yes, when referring to the state of agreeing (e.g., 'There was general agreement in the room').
Yes, it is the standard preposition for linking two or more parties (e.g., 'an agreement between the UK and the EU').
It is a grammatical rule where the verb must agree in number (singular/plural) with its subject (e.g., 'He runs' vs. 'They run').