BLACK LAW DICTIONARY

WHAT IS CONTRACT?

         An agreement, upon sufficient consideration, to do or not to do a particular tiling. 2 Bl. Comm. 442; 2 Kent, Comm. 449. Justice v. Lang, 42 N. Y. 496, 1 Am. Rep. 576; Edwards v. Kearzey, 96 U. S. 599, 24 L. Ed. 793; Canterberry v. Miller, 76 111. 355. A covenant or agreement between two or more persons, with a lawful consideration or cause. Jacob. A deliberate engagement between competent parties, upon a legal consideration, to do. or abstain from doing, some act. Wharton. A contract or agreement is either where a promise Is made on one side and assented to on the other; or where two or more persons enter into engagement with each other by a promise on either side. 2 Steph. Comm. 54. A contract is an agreement by which one person obligates himself to another to give, to do. or permit, or not to do. something expressed or implied by such agreement. Civ. Code I,a. art. 1761; Fislc v. Police Jury. 34 La. Ann. 45. A contract is an agreement to do or not to do a certain thing. Civ. Code Cal.



WHAT IS AGREEMENT?

      A concord of understanding and intention, between two or more parties, with respect to the effect upon their relative rights and duties, of certain past or future facts or performances. The act of two or more persons, who unite in expressing a mutual and common purpose, with the view of altering their rights and obligations. A coming together of parties in opinion or determination; the union of two or more minds in a thing done or to be done; a mutual assent to do a thing. Com. Dig. “Agreement,” A 1. The consent of two or more persons concurring, the one in parting with, the other in receiving, some property, right, or benefit. Bac. Abr. A promise, or undertaking. This is a loose and incorrect sense of the word. Wain v. Warlters. 5 East. 11. The writing or instrument which is evidence of an agreement. Classification. Agreements are of the following several descriptions, viz.: Conditional agreements, the operation and effect of which depend upon the existence of a supposed state of facts, or the performance of a condition, or the happening of a contingency. Executed agreements, which have reference to past events, or which are at once closed and where nothing further remains to be done by the parties. Executory agreements are such as are to be performed in the future. They are commonly preliminary to other more formal or important contracts or deeds, and are usually evidenced by memoranda, parol promises, etc. Express agreements are those in which the terms and stipulations are specifically declared and avowed by the parties at the time of making the agreement.



WHAT IS CONSENSUS?

     The middle ground between agreeing and disagreeing. The participants share a value and goal and work to get that goal to get a decision made. Refer to collective responsibility.