A Pact Shares a Root With Peace
A pact is a formal agreement. Its Latin root links agreement directly to the end of fighting.
A pact is a formal agreement between parties. It comes from Latin *pactum*, an agreement, from *pacisci*, to covenant, and the same root gives *pax*, peace. The logic is that peace is what you get when the fighting is settled by agreement, so peace and pact are two views of one act. The same root gives *pay*, through the idea of pacifying a creditor, and *propaganda* is unrelated despite the resemblance.
- An agreement. *A trade pact.*
- A treaty. *A defence pact.*
- A suicide pact. *A pact.*
- Peace — the same root. *Peace.*
- Latin — *pactum*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | pact | A pact. |
| Plural | pacts | Pacts. |
| Related | peace | Peace. |
| Related | pacify | To pacify. |
| Latin | pacisci | To covenant. |
- The two sides signed a pact.Agreement.
- Pax means peace.Etymology.
- A non-aggression pact.Diplomacy.
The pax family
- Pact — an agreement
- Peace — the settled state after one
- Pacify — to make peaceful
- Pacific — peaceful, and the ocean so named by Magellan
- Pay — through the idea of satisfying a creditor
Latin *pactum*, an agreement, from *pacisci*, to covenant, related to *pax*, peace.
Are pact and peace related?
Yes. Both come from a Latin root about settling by agreement, which is what ends a conflict.
Is pay related?
Yes, through the idea of pacifying a creditor by settling a debt.