Agreement vs. Concord — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Maham Liaqat — Updated on May 2, 2024
Agreement refers to mutual understanding or arrangement between parties, while concord denotes grammatical harmony between sentence elements.
Difference Between Agreement and Concord
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Key Differences
Agreement often implies a formal or informal arrangement between two or more parties that establishes mutual obligations or understandings. Whereas concord, in a linguistic context, specifically refers to the agreement between the subject and the verb in a sentence, ensuring that both elements match in number and person.
In legal or business contexts, an agreement can be a contract or a treaty that outlines terms and conditions agreed upon by the entities involved. On the other hand, concord is used primarily in grammar to describe the correct alignment of sentence components, playing a crucial role in syntactic accuracy and clarity.
Agreement can also be seen in the context of a consensus among group members or between countries on a specific issue or plan of action. Whereas concord within a language framework ensures that pronouns agree with their antecedents and adjectives with the nouns they describe.
In everyday usage, agreement might refer to any situation in which two or more people share the same opinion or decision. Conversely, concord is a more specialized term, often applied within discussions of language teaching, linguistics, or English grammar.
The process of reaching an agreement might involve negotiation, compromise, or adherence to pre-existing standards. In contrast, achieving concord in language requires knowledge of grammatical rules and the consistent application of these rules during communication.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
An arrangement or consensus between parties about a course of action.
Grammatical agreement between sentence elements in number, etc.
Context of Usage
Legal, social, political, personal
Linguistic, educational
Requirement
Mutual understanding, often legally binding
Adherence to grammatical rules
Outcome
Creation of mutual obligations or consensuses
Syntactic accuracy and clarity in communication
Example of Use
Forming an agreement on trade policies between countries.
Ensuring subject-verb concord in English sentences.
Compare with Definitions
Agreement
The state of consensus or accord.
The entire committee was in agreement on the matter.
Concord
Agreement between sentence elements in grammar, such as subject and verb.
The subject and verb in the sentence are in concord.
Agreement
A mutual arrangement between parties outlining terms and conditions.
The agreement between the two companies was signed yesterday.
Concord
Literary or historical reference to peace and agreement.
The treaty brought concord between the warring nations.
Agreement
Harmonious or conforming feelings or ideas.
Their agreement on environmental issues was notable.
Concord
Used metaphorically to denote agreement or peace.
The family reunion ended in a rare concord.
Agreement
The absence of conflict in opinions or actions.
There was an agreement among the siblings about selling the house.
Concord
A state of harmony and accord.
The negotiation ended in concord among all parties.
Agreement
A legal document encapsulating the terms of a contract.
She reviewed the lease agreement before signing.
Concord
In linguistics, the rule that governs the coherence between parts of speech.
His mastery of concord impresses his teachers.
Agreement
Harmony or accordance in opinion or feeling
The governments failed to reach agreement
The two officers nodded in agreement
Concord
Harmony or agreement of interests or feelings; accord.
Agreement
The act of agreeing
When did the agreement take place?.
Concord
A treaty establishing peaceful relations.
Agreement
Harmony of opinion; accord
Since we are all in agreement, let's proceed.
Concord
(Grammar) Agreement between words in person, number, gender, or case.
Agreement
An arrangement between parties, usually resulting from a discussion, regarding a course of action.
Concord
(Music) A harmonious combination of simultaneously sounded tones.
Agreement
A properly executed and legally binding contract.
Concord
A state of agreement; harmony; union.
Agreement
The writing or document embodying this contract.
Concord
(obsolete) Agreement by stipulation; compact; covenant; treaty or league
Agreement
(Grammar) Correspondence in gender, number, case, or person between words.
Concord
(grammar) Agreement of words with one another, in gender, number, person or case.
Agreement
(countable) An understanding between entities to follow a specific course of conduct.
To enter an agreement;
The UK and US negotiators nearing agreement;
He nodded his agreement.
Concord
An agreement between the parties to a fine of land in reference to the manner in which it should pass, being an acknowledgment that the land in question belonged to the complainant. See fine.
Agreement
(uncountable) A state whereby several parties share a view or opinion; the state of not contradicting one another.
The results of my experiment are in agreement with those of Michelson and with the law of General Relativity.
Concord
An agreeable combination of tones simultaneously heard; a consonant chord; consonance; harmony.
Agreement
A legally binding contract enforceable in a court of law.
Concord
A variety of sweet American grape, with large dark blue (almost black) grapes in compact clusters; a Concord grape.
Agreement
Rules that exist in many languages that force some parts of a sentence to be used or inflected differently depending on certain attributes of other parts.
Concord
(intransitive) To agree; to act together
Agreement
An agreeable quality.
Concord
A state of agreement; harmony; union.
Love quarrels oft in pleasing concord end.
Agreement
State of agreeing; harmony of opinion, statement, action, or character; concurrence; concord; conformity; as, a good agreement subsists among the members of the council.
What agreement hath the temple of God with idols ?
Expansion and duration have this further agreement.
Concord
Agreement by stipulation; compact; covenant; treaty or league.
The concord made between Henry and Roderick.
Agreement
Concord or correspondence of one word with another in gender, number, case, or person.
Concord
Agreement of words with one another, in gender, number, person, or case.
Agreement
A concurrence in an engagement that something shall be done or omitted; an exchange of promises; mutual understanding, arrangement, or stipulation; a contract.
Concord
An agreement between the parties to a fine of land in reference to the manner in which it should pass, being an acknowledgment that the land in question belonged to the complainant. See Fine.
Agreement
The statement (oral or written) of an exchange of promises;
They had an agreement that they would not interfere in each other's business
There was an understanding between management and the workers
Concord
An agreeable combination of tones simultaneously heard; a consonant chord; consonance; harmony.
Agreement
Compatibility of observations;
There was no agreement between theory and measurement
The results of two tests were in correspondence
Concord
A variety of American grape, with large dark blue (almost black) grapes in compact clusters.
Agreement
Harmony of people's opinions or actions or characters;
The two parties were in agreement
Concord
To agree; to act together.
Agreement
The thing arranged or agreed to;
They made arrangements to meet in Chicago
Concord
Capital of the state of New Hampshire; located in south central New Hampshire on the Merrimack river
Agreement
The determination of grammatical inflection on the basis of word relations
Concord
A harmonious state of things in general and of their properties (as of colors and sounds); congruity of parts with one another and with the whole
Agreement
The verbal act of agreeing
Concord
The determination of grammatical inflection on the basis of word relations
Concord
Town in eastern Massachusetts near Boston where the first battle of the American Revolution was fought
Concord
Agreement of opinions
Concord
The first battle of the American Revolution (April 19, 1775)
Concord
Go together;
The colors don't harmonize
Their ideas concorded
Concord
Arrange by concord or agreement;
Concord the conditions for the marriage of the Prince of Wales with a commoner
Concord
Arrange the words of a text so as to create a concordance;
The team concorded several thousand nouns, verbs, and adjectives
Concord
Be in accord; be in agreement;
We agreed on the terms of the settlement
I can't agree with you!
I hold with those who say life is sacred
Both philosophers concord on this point
Common Curiosities
What is an example of an agreement in a business context?
Agreement often appears as contracts or terms of service in business dealings.
How is concord important in learning English?
Concord helps learners use the language accurately, ensuring grammatical correctness.
Can agreement be used outside of legal documents?
Yes, agreement can broadly apply to any consensus or mutual decision.
Can an agreement be informal?
Yes, agreements can be formal like contracts or informal like verbal pacts.
Is concord applicable to languages other than English?
Yes, the concept of grammatical concord applies to many languages that require agreement between sentence elements.
What role does agreement play in international relations?
It facilitates cooperation and coordination between countries.
What is necessary to achieve an agreement?
Usually, communication, negotiation, and sometimes legal consultation are necessary.
What happens if there is no agreement in a negotiation?
Lack of agreement can lead to disputes or dissolution of discussions.
How does concord affect the readability of a text?
Proper concord increases clarity and readability by maintaining grammatical consistency.
Is concord the same in all English dialects?
Mostly, although there can be some variations in usage across different dialects.
Can concord be broken in English?
Yes, breaking concord leads to grammatical errors and potential misunderstandings.
How is agreement typically established?
Through discussions, negotiations, and mutual consent among the involved parties.
Does concord only relate to subject and verb?
No, it also involves agreement between other elements like pronouns and antecedents.
Why is agreement important in legal terms?
It binds parties to specific terms and conditions, reducing ambiguity and disputes.
What are the consequences of not adhering to concord in writing?
Non-adherence can lead to poor grammar and miscommunication.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
