Have you ever found yourself in a dilemma over using agreeance vs. agreement? Is agreeance even a real word, or is it a common misspelling or some outdated version of the other word? Actually, both words are correct, and the main difference is that agreement is just more widely used. If you read on, you’ll get an understanding of whether or not there are nuances between these words, as well as their proper usage.
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What Is Agreeance?
If you hear someone saying the word “agreeance,” what do they mean? Is it a word that looks a lot like agreement but which has a totally different meaning?
In fact, the two words mean the same thing. An agreeance is a state when two or more parties have a mutual understanding. In short, it is an act of agreement.
What’s the origin of agreeance? This word comes from agréance, which itself came from the Old French agréer, meaning “to agree” or “to make agreeable to.” The English word first appeared in the 16th century. It’s now rarely used and considered a correct but nonstandard form of agreement.
Examples:
- The two candidates held starkly differing views, but one area of agreeance was the need to lower property taxes.
- Are we in agreeance that we’re going to get an artificial tree for Christmas this year?
- The jury swiftly came to a unanimous agreeance that the defendant was guilty.
- My parents were always in complete agreeance that we couldn’t watch TV on school nights.
- There was widespread agreeance in the room that the council member had acted unethically and should step down.
What Is an Agreement?
As stated previously, agreement and agreeance mean the same thing. Both indicate concurrence on something between two or more people or parties.
The origins of agreement are the same as those for agreeance. Late Middle English is where agreement first appeared, with the earliest known use in the 1400s. By the 1800s, the word was becoming more common.
Examples:
- Let’s make a formal agreement to make an early start so we can avoid the worst of the morning traffic.
- Most leases contain an official agreement that the renter will pay to repair all damages that occur during their time there.
- Part of our business activities is to provide an official agreement to avoid misunderstanding.
- After several hours of negotiating, the two sides came to an agreement on an acceptable price for the property.
- She raised her eyebrows while reading the presented agreement.
- Let’s proceed with caution. Ask for an official agreement first.
- The politicians made a compromise and released a public agreement.
- After our negotiation, the natural step forward is a formal agreement.
Which One Should You Use?
So, the interesting question is, which one should you use? Well, there’s an easy answer to the question of agreeance vs. agreement: both are real words, so both are correct. These days, the term agreement is far more common, so the only downside to using agreeance might be receiving some funny looks. Since agreement is the standard form today, you can use it in in everyday speech, from formal to casual.
Final Thoughts
To recap, agreeance vs. agreement isn’t as challenging a choice as it might seem. Both words mean the same thing, and although the former isn’t common anymore, it isn’t wrong. If you don’t want to confuse your readers or the person you are talking to, be consistent.
