Treatise Meaning
/ˈtɹiːtɪs/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA formal, usually lengthy, systematic discourse on some subject.
Sentence Examples
The definitive treatise was written by someone with no formal education in the subject.
Tom just finished writing a 300-page treatise on demography.
Tom's "treatise" was little more than a racist diatribe.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The professor wrote a lengthy ____ on the scientific theory of evolution.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The scholar wrote a long and detailed ____ about the history of scientific discoveries during the nineteenth century today.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English tretys, from Anglo-Norman tretiz and Old French traitis (“treatise, account”), from traitier (“to deal with, treat”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
""As you cannot make a speech, you must," said Henrietta, "put it into a treatise.""
— 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “An Act of Parliament”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 191:
"“[…] We are engaged in a great work, a treatise on our river fortifications, perhaps ? But since when did army officers afford the luxury of amanuenses in this simple republic ?[…]”"
— 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
"And if someone wants to know how to make objections to actual craftsmen themselves on the subject of art in general or any particular art, there are published treatises available, as you know."
— 2005, Plato, translated by Lesley Brown, Sophist, page 232d:
"Some poems, echoing the purpose of early poetic treatises on scientific principles, attempt to elucidate the mathematical concepts that underlie prime numbers. Others play with primes’ cultural associations. Still others derive their structure from mathematical patterns involving primes."
— 2013 July-August, Sarah Glaz, “Ode to Prime Numbers”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The professor wrote a lengthy ____ on the scientific theory of evolution.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The scholar wrote a long and detailed ____ about the history of scientific discoveries during the nineteenth century today.