covenant

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A binding agreement; a compact. See Synonyms at bargain.
2. n. Law A formal sealed agreement or contract.
3. n. Law A suit to recover damages for violation of such a contract.
4. n. In the Bible, God's promise to the human race.
5. v. To promise by or as if by a covenant.
6. v. To enter into a covenant.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A mutual compact or agreement of two or more persons to do or to refrain from doing some act; a contract; a compact.
2. n. In law: In general, an agreement under seal; a specialty; any promise made by deed.
3. n. More particularly, a subordinate stipulation forming part of the same sealed instrument with the agreement to which it is incidental: as, a covenant of warranty of title in a deed.
4. n. In Biblical usage, the free promise of God, generally, though not always expressly, accompanied by the requirement of the fulfilment of certain conditions on the part of man.
5. n. Eccles., a solemn agreement between the members of a church, as that they will act together in harmony with the precepts of the gospel. Specifically, in Scottish history, the bond or engagement subscribed in 1638, and often called the National Covenant, based upon the covenant or oath for the observance of the confession of faith drawn up in 1581 (preceded by a similar one in 1557), which was signed and enjoined upon all his subjects by James VI. (afterward James I. of England), and renewed in 1590 and 1596. Its object was the maintenance of the Presbyterian or Reformed religion against popery, and its particular cause was the attempt of Charles I. to force a liturgy upon Scotland. At the restoration of episcopacy in 1662, both the National Covenant and the Solemn League and Covenant of 1643 (see below) were proscribed, and liberty of conscience was not regained until after the revolution of 1688.
6. n. Specifically, an indenture; an article of apprenticeship.
7. To enter into a formal agreement; contract; bind one's self by contract; agree formally or solemnly: as, A covenants with B to convey to him a certain estate: with for before the thing or price.
8. To agree or subscribe to or promise by covenant; engage by a pledge.
9. To demand as a condition or stipulation; stipulate.

Wiktionary

1. n. law An agreement to do or not do a particular thing.
2. n. law A promise, incidental to a deed or contract, either express or implied.
3. n. A pact or binding agreement between two or more parties.
4. n. An incidental clause in an agreement.
5. v. to enter into, or promise something by, a covenant
6. v. law To enter a formal agreement.
7. v. law To bind oneself in contract.
8. v. law To make a stipulation.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A mutual agreement of two or more persons or parties, or one of the stipulations in such an agreement.
2. n. (Eccl. Hist.) An agreement made by the Scottish Parliament in 1638, and by the English Parliament in 1643, to preserve the reformed religion in Scotland, and to extirpate popery and prelacy; -- usually called the “Solemn League and Covenant.”
3. n. (Theol.) The promises of God as revealed in the Scriptures, conditioned on certain terms on the part of man, as obedience, repentance, faith, etc.
4. n. A solemn compact between members of a church to maintain its faith, discipline, etc.
5. n. An undertaking, on sufficient consideration, in writing and under seal, to do or to refrain from some act or thing; a contract; a stipulation; also, the document or writing containing the terms of agreement.
6. n. A form of action for the violation of a promise or contract under seal.
7. v. To agree (with); to enter into a formal agreement; to bind one's self by contract; to make a stipulation.
8. v. To grant or promise by covenant.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. enter into a covenant or formal agreement
2. n. a signed written agreement between two or more parties (nations) to perform some action
3. n. (Bible) an agreement between God and his people in which God makes certain promises and requires certain behavior from them in return
4. v. enter into a covenant