Covenantor

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. This term describes an individual or organization that obligates itself to respect the terms of an established contract
2. An entity that commits to uphold the conditions set forth in a formal agreement is referred to in this context
3. This designation pertains to a person or group that ensures adherence to the stipulations within a contractual arrangement

Etymology: "Covenantor" is a plain formation: it takes "covenant," a word that came into English from Old French "covenant," meaning "agreement" or "contract," and adds the suffix "-or," which marks the one who performs an action. A covenantor is therefore the party who binds themselves to a covenant, the person or entity that actually makes the promise written into the agreement. The pattern is an old one in English. Words such as "grantor" and "vendor" follow the same logic, naming the one who grants or sells. In legal writing, the term sits alongside its counterpart "covenantee," the party to whom the promise is made, so the two words describe opposite ends of the same arrangement.