Key Difference: Many people use the words “agreement” and “contract” interchangeably because they think that both represent the same meaning. But, it is not as they think. These two words literally have different meanings from each other. Agreement refers to the mutual assent between two or more persons, whereas a contract refers to legally enforceable obligations that are taken by two or more people. In this portion, we will offer you the difference between the words Agreement and Contract.
Agreement: Can you get that agreement paper for me?
Contract: I am very interested to take over this contract.
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Agreement:
A free-will & Consent Between Two parties
The term “Agreement” refers to the mutual assent between people. To say in other words, it is the free will and consent of two or more parties. An agreement has no boundaries or rules to follow. Generally, it is a promise between people regarding a common intention. You need to know one more thing, that is, all the contracts are agreements. For example, We are all in agreement. From this statement, we might understand that all the persons were in the agreement. Let’s see another example to make it clear. Clara refused to be a part of this agreement. In this sentence, you will understand that Clara rejects the agreement, and she doesn’t want to be a part of it.
Enunciation:
Syllables are phonological building blocks of words. It divides the words into parts that can help you read words more accurately. Let’s see how to split the word affect using syllables. Learning syllables can also help you to spell words correctly.
- The word “Agreement” has three syllables.
- It can be divided as “A-gree-ment.”
More Examples:
- Did you sign the agreement?
- Veronica rejects the agreement as she doesn’t want to be a part of it.
- I am glad that you are in the agreement.
- There is a formal agreement between Tom and Jerry.
- I think we are in the agreement and need to attend the meeting in the afternoon.
Contract:
Mutual Understanding of Two Parties
The contract is nothing but an agreement between two parties that is enforced by law. Every contract is made up of specific rules and boundaries that are legally binding. If you sign a contract, you should follow its terms and conditions, otherwise, you will need to face some consequences. For instance, He signed a contract. In this sentence, we understand that someone signed the contract and agreed with its conditions. Let’s see one more example. You should look at the conditions of the contract carefully. From this statement, we might understand that someone says to read the conditions of the contract carefully.
Enunciation:
Syllabification refers to the process of division of words into smaller parts. It is commonly known as syllables. With its help, you can easily read and spell the word accurately. Here, you will see how to split the word “Contract” by syllables.
- The word “Contract” has two syllables.
- It can be divided as “Con-tract.”
More Examples:
- I have not signed the contract.
- The contract has to be signed after reading.
- Give me a pen to sign the contract.
- They have signed the contract mutually.
- The new building contract was taken by Robert yesterday.
Compare: Agreement Vs Contract
This table will show you the contradiction between the words Agreement and Contract.
| Agreement | Contract | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | It refers to the mutual assent between people. | It is an agreement between two parties. |
| Synonyms | harmony, consent, assent, acceptance, deal, settlement, arrangement, understanding | deal, treaty, mutual agreement, bond, understanding, convention |
| Antonyms | disagreement, discord | goes down, breaks out, withdraw |
| Parts of Speech | It is the noun form of the verb agree | noun |
| Etymology | late Middle English: from Old French, from agreer ‘make agreeable to’ | Middle English: via Old French from Latin contractus, from contract- ‘drawn together, tightened’, from the verb contrahere, from con- ‘together’ + trahere ‘draw’. |
| Examples | Betty and I were in the agreement. I accept to be a part of this agreement. Did you see the agreement paper? A signed agreement will not be changed. We accept the agreement by shaking hands. | We have a contract. Please look at the contract carefully. You need to check the contract. These people are satisfied with the contract. Bella and Jacob have a business contract between them. |
Resources and References:
Resources: Cambridge Dictionary (Agreement, Contract), Merriam-Webster (Agreement, Contract), Dictionary.com (Agreement, Contract)
Reference: Dictionary.Cambridge.org[1], Merriam-Webster.com[2][3], Dictionary.com[4].