accord
uh-KORD
/əˈkɔːrd/
An official agreement or treaty, often used in the context of international diplomacy.
Can refer to the agreement itself or the state of being in harmony. Often used for high-level diplomatic deals.
The story behind the word. From Old French 'acorder', which traces back to the Latin 'ad-' (to) and 'cor' (heart). It literally means bringing hearts together in agreement.
Word relationships
- agreement: Agreement is more general and less formal than accord.
- entente: Entente is specifically an informal understanding between nations.
- discord: Discord is a lack of agreement or harmony between people or things.
Commonly confused with
- treaty: An accord is often the result of a negotiation that may or may not be as legally detailed as a full treaty.
Word family
- accordance (noun): The act of conforming or agreeing with something.
- according (preposition): As stated by or in proportion to.
Collocations
- peace accord
- reach an accord
- in accord with
- signed accord
Idioms & expressions
- of one's own accord
Example sentences
- "The Paris Accord is a legally binding international treaty on climate change." Environment
- "After weeks of negotiation, the two warring factions finally reached an accord." Diplomacy
Memory hook
An accord brings hearts into 'accordance' and harmony. Hearts in sync.
When not to use
Avoid in very informal contexts where 'agreement' would suffice.
Fun facts
- The word 'cordial' (friendly) also comes from the same root 'cor', meaning 'from the heart'.
Also appears in
- Communication → Agreements & Affirmations
- Conflict → Reconciliation & Peace
- Conflict → Compromise & Concession
- Law → International Law & Treaties
- Environmental Policy & Sustainability Economics → Climate Policy & International Agreements
- Military Science & Warfare → Peace, Ceasefire & Demobilization
- Environmental Policy & Sustainability Economics → International Environmental Accords
- Fashion, Clothing & Grooming → Fragrances & Perfumery
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