English Reference

Word

agreement

Phoneticsagree·ment

US/əˈɡɹimənt/

UK/ɐɡɹˈiːmənt/

Definitions

01shared opinion

B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun

n. a situation where people have the same opinion or feeling about something.

n. the state of sharing a view, opinion, or purpose; a lack of contradiction between parties.

“The two managers reached an agreement on how to handle the new project.”

“There was general agreement among the board members that the current strategy required significant revision before the next fiscal year.”

02formal arrangement

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. a formal decision or promise between two or more people or groups.

n. a negotiated arrangement or understanding between entities to follow a specific course of conduct.

“The neighbors made a verbal agreement to share the cost of the new fence.”

“The ceasefire agreement was signed after weeks of intense diplomatic pressure from international mediators.”

03legal contract

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Law Formal

n. a written document that is legally binding.

n. a legally enforceable contract or document that outlines specific obligations and rights.

“Make sure you read the rental agreement carefully before you sign it.”

“The merger agreement contained several clauses designed to protect the interests of minority shareholders during the transition period.”

04grammar matching

C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Science Technical · Academic

n. a rule where words in a sentence must match in number, gender, or person.

n. the grammatical correspondence between words in a sentence, such as a verb matching its subject in number.

“In English, we must have agreement between the subject and the verb.”

“The student struggled with gender agreement when learning Spanish, often forgetting to change the adjective endings to match the nouns.”

Usage

Often used with the preposition 'between' or 'with'.

Pitfall

There is a lack of agreement between the subject and the verbs.

There is a lack of agreement between the subject and the verb.

In linguistics, 'agreement' usually refers to the relationship between a subject and a single verb form.

Teaching tip

In EFL contexts, this usually refers to 'subject-verb agreement', which is a common area for learner errors.

Synonyms

Collocations

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “agreement” in context.

Adjective

01. broad agreement

“There is broad agreement among the staff that the new office hours are better.”

adj + noun

02. general agreement

“The committee reached a general agreement on the main points of the proposal.”

adj + noun

03. international agreement

“Many countries signed the international agreement to reduce plastic waste in the ocean.”

adj + noun

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Old French a- Proto-Indo-European *gʷerH- Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *gʷr̥Htós Proto-Italic *gʷrātos Latin grātus Latin grātumder. Old French gré Old French agreer Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-məntom Latin -mentum Old French -ment Old French agrementbor. Middle English agrement English agreement From Middle English agrement, agreement, from Old French agrement, agreement. Doublet of agrément. Morphologically agree + -ment.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

NOUN

agreement(B1)

ADJECTIVE

Related words

Domains

GrammarLawLinguistics

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
Frequency
Very common
Level
B1 · IntermediateOxford
Updated

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