agreement
UK[əˈɡriːmənt]US[əˈɡriːmənt]
n
the state of sharing the same opinion or feeling
n
a formal arrangement or contract between people or groups
n
the fact of two or more grammatical items having the same number, gender, case, or person
Morpheme Breakdown
agree
ment
agree
ment
Etymology
the word 'agreement' is built upon the verb 'agree', which entered english from old french. the french verb 'agreer' itself combined the latin prefix 'ad-' (meaning "to") with the adjective 'gratus' (meaning "pleasing, agreeable"), conveying the sense of coming to a pleasing accord. the suffix '-ment', of latin origin via french, is a productive morpheme that transforms verbs into nouns denoting the action or result of that verb. thus, the literal construction "the state or result of coming to a pleasing accord" perfectly captures the modern meanings of a mutual understanding, a formal contract, or grammatical harmony.
Analysis
Structure: agree + ment
agree (from old french 'agreer', meaning "to please, satisfy, consent", ultimately from latin 'ad-' "to" + 'gratus' "pleasing"). ment (a noun-forming suffix of french/latin origin, indicating an action, process, or resulting state).
Examples
the two parties finally reached an agreement after lengthy negotiations.
there is general agreement among scientists that climate change is a serious threat.
in english, subject-verb agreement is a fundamental rule of grammar.