Accord vs. Agreement: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
"Accord" is a formal agreement, often between nations or large organizations, while "Agreement" is a general term for any understanding or arrangement between parties.
Key Differences
Accord often implies a mutual understanding or harmony, not always formalized, whereas Agreement typically refers to a formally documented or contractually stipulated arrangement between parties.
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Dec 07, 2023
Accord can emerge spontaneously or informally among individuals or groups, often reflecting a shared perspective or consensus. In contrast, Agreement usually results from negotiation or deliberate discussion, aiming for a legally binding understanding.
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Dec 07, 2023
Accord might not have legal enforceability; it's more about voluntary compliance based on shared values or interests. On the other hand, Agreement is generally a binding contract, enforceable by law.
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Dec 07, 2023
Accord is often used in diplomatic or international contexts, suggesting a more amicable and consensus-based approach. Conversely, Agreement is a broader term used in various contexts, including legal, business, and personal relationships.
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Dec 07, 2023
In essence, Accord emphasizes the harmonious aspect of an understanding, while Agreement underscores the formal, often legal nature of a commitment or arrangement.
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Dec 07, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Formality
Often informal or based on mutual understanding.
Usually formal and legally binding.
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Dec 07, 2023
Documentation
May not be documented.
Typically documented and legally enforceable.
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Dec 07, 2023
Context
Common in diplomatic or consensus-building settings.
Broad usage in legal, business, personal contexts.
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Dec 07, 2023
Binding Nature
Not necessarily legally binding.
Legally binding and enforceable.
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Dec 07, 2023
Implication
Implies harmony or voluntary compliance.
Indicates a formal arrangement or contract.
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Dec 07, 2023
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Accord and Agreement Definitions
Accord
Harmonious Agreement
Parties reached an accord on environmental policies.
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Nov 25, 2023
Agreement
Contractual Arrangement
The business partners signed a formal agreement.
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Nov 25, 2023
Accord
Voluntary Compliance
He acted in accord with the committee's decision.
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Nov 25, 2023
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Agreement
Mutual Understanding
They reached an agreement on the project's scope.
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Nov 25, 2023
Accord
Diplomatic Understanding
The nations entered into an accord to promote peace.
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Nov 25, 2023
Accord
To give or grant, especially as being due or appropriate
Accorded the president the proper deference.
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Oct 19, 2023
Agreement
Harmony of opinion; accord
Since we are all in agreement, let's proceed.
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Oct 19, 2023
Agreement
An arrangement between parties, usually resulting from a discussion, regarding a course of action.
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Oct 19, 2023
Accord
A settlement or compromise between conflicting parties
The strikers and the owners reached an accord.
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Oct 19, 2023
Accord
Spontaneous or voluntary desire to take a certain action
The children returned on their own accord. He confessed of his own accord.
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Oct 19, 2023
Agreement
(Grammar) Correspondence in gender, number, case, or person between words.
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Oct 19, 2023
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.
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Oct 19, 2023
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.
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Oct 19, 2023
Accord
Agreement or harmony of things in general.
The accord of light and shade in painting
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Oct 19, 2023
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.
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Oct 19, 2023
Accord
(legal) An agreement between parties in controversy, by which satisfaction for an injury is stipulated, and which, when executed, prevents a lawsuit.
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Oct 19, 2023
Accord
(international law) An international agreement.
The Geneva Accord of 1954 ended the French-Indochinese War.
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Oct 19, 2023
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.
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Oct 19, 2023
Agreement
Concord or correspondence of one word with another in gender, number, case, or person.
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Oct 19, 2023
Accord
Voluntary or spontaneous impulse to act.
Nobody told me to do it. I did it of my own accord.
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Oct 19, 2023
Agreement
A concurrence in an engagement that something shall be done or omitted; an exchange of promises; mutual understanding, arrangement, or stipulation; a contract.
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Oct 19, 2023
Accord
(transitive) To make to agree or correspond; to suit one thing to another; to adjust.
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Oct 19, 2023
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
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Oct 19, 2023
Accord
(transitive) To bring (people) to an agreement; to reconcile, settle, adjust or harmonize.
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Oct 19, 2023
Agreement
Compatibility of observations;
There was no agreement between theory and measurement
The results of two tests were in correspondence
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Oct 19, 2023
Accord
(intransitive) To agree or correspond; to be in harmony; to be concordant.
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Oct 19, 2023
Agreement
Harmony of people's opinions or actions or characters;
The two parties were in agreement
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Oct 19, 2023
Agreement
The thing arranged or agreed to;
They made arrangements to meet in Chicago
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Oct 19, 2023
Agreement
The determination of grammatical inflection on the basis of word relations
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Oct 19, 2023
Accord
Agreement or concurrence of opinion, will, or action; harmony of mind; consent; assent.
A mediator of an accord and peace between them.
These all continued with one accord in prayer.
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Oct 19, 2023
Accord
Harmony of sounds; agreement in pitch and tone; concord; as, the accord of tones.
Those sweet accords are even the angels' lays.
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Oct 19, 2023
Accord
Agreement, harmony, or just correspondence of things; as, the accord of light and shade in painting.
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Oct 19, 2023
Accord
Voluntary or spontaneous motion or impulse to act; - preceded by own; as, of one's own accord.
That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap.
Of his own accord he went unto you.
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Oct 19, 2023
Accord
An agreement between parties in controversy, by which satisfaction for an injury is stipulated, and which, when executed, bars a suit.
They rushed with one accord into the theater.
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Oct 19, 2023
Accord
To make to agree or correspond; to suit one thing to another; to adjust; - followed by to.
Her hands accorded the lute's music to the voice.
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Oct 19, 2023
Accord
To bring to an agreement, as persons; to reconcile; to settle, adjust, harmonize, or compose, as things; as, to accord suits or controversies.
When they were accorded from the fray.
All which particulars, being confessedly knotty and difficult can never be accorded but by a competent stock of critical learning.
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Oct 19, 2023
Accord
To grant as suitable or proper; to concede; to award; as, to accord to one due praise.
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Oct 19, 2023
Accord
To agree; to correspond; to be in harmony; - followed by with, formerly also by to; as, his disposition accords with his looks.
My heart accordeth with my tongue.
Thy actions to thy words accord.
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Oct 19, 2023
Accord
Harmony of people's opinions or actions or characters;
The two parties were in agreement
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Oct 19, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
What does agreement mean?
A formal, often documented arrangement between parties.
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Dec 07, 2023
Is an accord legally binding?
Not necessarily; it can be more about voluntary compliance.
Shumaila Saeed
Dec 07, 2023
How is accord used in international relations?
As a diplomatic understanding or consensus among nations.
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Dec 07, 2023
Can an agreement be informal?
Usually, agreements are formal and legally enforceable.
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Dec 07, 2023
Is accord synonymous with agreement?
Not exactly; accord implies harmony, while agreement is more formal.
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Dec 07, 2023
Can an agreement be verbal?
Yes, but written agreements are more enforceable.
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Dec 07, 2023
Can a business contract be an accord?
It's more accurately described as an agreement.
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Dec 07, 2023
Is a treaty an accord or an agreement?
It can be both, but it's usually a formal agreement.
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Dec 07, 2023
Do all accords require documentation?
No, some accords are based on mutual understanding.
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Dec 07, 2023
Can accords be broken like agreements?
Yes, but legal consequences are more associated with agreements.
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Dec 07, 2023
Are agreements always legally binding?
Typically, but it depends on the context and terms.
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Dec 07, 2023
Can an individual act in accord with something?
Yes, it means acting in harmony with a decision or principle.
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Dec 07, 2023
Can an accord lead to a formal agreement?
Yes, initial understanding (accord) can evolve into a formal agreement.
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Dec 07, 2023
Can an accord exist without explicit communication?
Yes, it can be based on implied understanding.
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Dec 07, 2023
Is a memorandum of understanding an accord or agreement?
It's a type of formal agreement, often preceding a contract.
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Dec 07, 2023
Is a handshake deal an agreement or accord?
It's an informal agreement, sometimes resembling an accord.
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Dec 07, 2023
Do agreements need witnesses or notarization?
It depends on the legal requirements of the context.
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Dec 07, 2023
Are verbal agreements as strong as written ones?
Generally, written agreements hold more legal weight.
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Dec 07, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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Hifza Nasir
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