Meaning & use
treatise
Last updated
UK/ˈtriːtɪs/
US/ˈtriːtɪs/
Meaning
nouncountableformal
A long formal work that examines one subject carefully and systematically.
Grammar: Countable; commonly followed by on or upon.
Patterns
- treatise on something
- write a treatise
- a treatise upon something
He published a treatise on the ethics of punishment.
The medieval treatise upon medicine survives in one copy.
Word forms
| plural | treatises |
|---|
Common combinations
- treatise on
- Her treatise on memory changed the debate.
- write a treatise
- He spent a decade writing a treatise on civil law.
- learned treatise
- The library displayed a learned treatise from the 1500s.
Synonyms and how they differ
- essay
- An essay is shorter and more personal or exploratory; treatise implies thorough, organized treatment.
- monograph
- A monograph is a scholarly book on one narrow subject; treatise can be broader and older in style.
- thesis
- A thesis is an argument or degree work; treatise is a complete formal exposition.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: treatise or treaty?
treatise vs treaty
A treaty is a formal agreement between states; a treatise is a written study.
Practice
Choose the best completion: She wrote a treatise ______ political obligation.
Choose one answer.
Treatise is commonly followed by on or upon before a subject; the other prepositions do not form this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “treatise”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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