Agreement

An agreement is a mutual understanding between two or more parties concerning rights and obligations that may be enforced by law or by social norms. Agreements can be informal, implicit through conduct, or formalized in writing. The exact effects depend on the context and the intent of the parties.

In contract law, an agreement becomes legally binding when certain conditions are met: there is an offer, an acceptance that matches the offer, consideration exchanged, an intention to create legal relations, and the parties have the capacity and the agreement is legal in its subject matter. This structure is often described as a "meeting of the minds." Agreements can be express, stated in words, or implied by conduct. They can be bilateral or unilateral, and may be written or oral. Enforceability can be affected by issues such as misrepresentation, duress, mistake, or illegality, and terms may be void or voidable.

In linguistics, agreement refers to concord between words, such as subject-verb agreement in number and person, or noun-adjective agreement in gender or case. In political or diplomatic contexts, agreements may take the form of treaties or accords that regulate inter-state relations, trade, or security.

Common types include contracts, memoranda of understanding (MOUs), and formal treaties; informal agreements rely on trust or norms. Drafting practices emphasize clarity of scope, duties, timelines, remedies, and dispute resolution to reduce ambiguity and improve enforceability.