treaty

A treaty is a formally signed and ratified agreement between two or more nations or sovereigns; a contract between two or more countries that is adhered to by the nations party to it; an international agreement between two or more states that is governed by international law .

In the United States, treaties are federal law and thus preempt state law. The treaty power is granted by Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution , under which the President may make a treaty by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, with the concurrence of two-thirds of those present. To circumvent this requirement, a President may enter informal treaties by executive agreements with the leaders of other nations.

[Last reviewed in August of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team ]

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