concordat

/kɑnˌkɔrˈdæt/

Other forms: concordats

A concordat is an agreement between parties, especially between nations or between a church and a nation. A concordat is official, written, and signed.

When there is concord, there is agreement. That can help you remember that a concordat is a type of agreement between two or more parties. The earliest concordats were between the Roman Catholic Church and various governments, but a concordat can exist between any two entities, including two nations. When there's a concordat, the parties sign a contract and agree to do something. A treaty is a type of concordat.

Definitions of concordat

1. noun

   a signed written agreement between two or more parties (nations) to perform some action
   synonyms: compact, covenant

   examples:

   Lateran Treaty

   the agreement signed in the Lateran Palace in 1929 by Italy and the Holy See which recognized the Vatican City as a sovereign and independent papal state

   type of:

   written agreement

   a legal document summarizing the agreement between parties