executive agreement

noun

Definition of executive agreement

: an agreement between the U.S. and a foreign government made by the executive branch either alone or with Congressional approval and dealing usually with routine matters

Examples of executive agreement in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There was a significant outcry from Democrats and the Obama administration in 2015 when Republicans -- led by Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton -- wrote to Iranian leadership explaining the difference between an executive agreement and a treaty. Adam Shaw, Fox News, "John Kerry under fire for reported 'shadow diplomacy' to save Iran deal," 5 May 2018 Because of Republican opposition Obama could not get Congress to ratify it as a treaty, so billed it an executive agreement, meaning it could be overturned by a successor. Stephen Collinson, CNN, "Trump slashes at Obama's legacy, but risks his own," 21 Sep. 2017

First Known Use of executive agreement

1942, in the meaning defined above

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More Definitions for executive agreement

executive agreement

noun

Legal Definition of executive agreement

: an agreement (as an armistice) between the U.S. and a foreign government that is made by the president and usually deals with a subject within the president's powers — compare treaty

Note: An executive agreement does not carry the same weight as a treaty unless it is supported by a joint resolution. Unlike a treaty, an executive agreement can supersede a conflicting state law but not a federal law.