treatise

noun

trea·​tise ˈtrē-təs 

 also  -təz

1

: a systematic exposition or argument in writing including a methodical discussion of the facts and principles involved and conclusions reached

a treatise on higher education

2

obsolete : account, tale

Examples of treatise in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Out went the names, and in came a sweeping, elegiac — but life-fostering — quality that operates as a sonic treatise on the nature of love itself. —Colin Fleming, New York Daily News, 14 Feb. 2025

In the weeks before the election, former President Barack Obama gave moral sermons and philosophical treatises on behalf of the Harris-Walz campaign, his speeches suggesting that politics still existed in a social atmosphere of contemplation and debate. —Brady Brickner-Wood, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2025

Finally, this treatise provides a spotlight on the importance of early detection. —Joel Shulman, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Nietzsche’s treatise criticizes philosophers who rest their moral framework on the assumption that good and evil are opposites. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tretis, from Anglo-French tretiz, alteration of tretez, traitet, from Medieval Latin tractatus, from Latin tractare to treat, handle

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

treatise

noun

trea·​tise ˈtrēt-əs 

: a book or article examining a subject carefully and completely