treat

American  

[treet] / trit /

verb (used with object)

1. to act or behave toward (a person) in some specified way.

   to treat someone with respect.

2. to consider or regard in a specified way, and deal with accordingly.

   to treat a matter as unimportant.

3. to deal with (a disease, patient, etc.) in order to relieve or cure.

4. to deal with in speech or writing; discuss.

5. to deal with, develop, or represent artistically, especially in some specified manner or style.

   to treat a theme realistically.

6. to subject to some agent or action in order to bring about a particular result.

   to treat a substance with an acid.

7. to entertain; give hospitality to.

   He treats diplomats in the lavish surroundings of his country estate.

8. to provide food, entertainment, gifts, etc., at one's own expense.

   Let me treat you to dinner.

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verb (used without object)

1. to deal with a subject in speech or writing; discourse.

   a work that treats of the caste system in India.

2. to give, or bear the expense of, a treat.

   Is it my turn to treat?

3. to carry on negotiations with a view to a settlement; discuss terms of settlement; negotiate.

noun

1. entertainment, food, drink, etc., given by way of compliment or as an expression of friendly regard.

2. anything that affords particular pleasure or enjoyment.

3. the act of treating.

4. one's turn to treat.

treat British  

/ triːt /

noun

1. a celebration, entertainment, gift, or feast given for or to someone and paid for by another

2. any delightful surprise or specially pleasant occasion

3. the act of treating

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verb

1. (tr) to deal with or regard in a certain manner

   she treats school as a joke

2. (tr) to apply treatment to

   to treat a patient for malaria

3. (tr) to subject to a process or to the application of a substance

   to treat photographic film with developer

4. (tr; often foll by to) to provide (someone) (with) as a treat

   he treated the children to a trip to the zoo

5. formal to deal (with), as in writing or speaking

6. formal (intr) to discuss settlement; negotiate

treat Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing treat

• Dutch treat
• trick or treat

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Other Word Forms

• nontreated adjective
• overtreat verb
• self-treated adjective
• treatable adjective
• treater noun
• untreated adjective
• well-treated adjective

Etymology

Origin of treat

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English verb treten, from Old French tretier, traitier, from Latin tractāre “to drag, handle, treat,” frequentative of trahere “to drag”; tract ¹

Explanation

If you've been working hard and living thriftily for months on end, give yourself a treat: take the night off and go out to dinner and a movie. One sense of treat has to do with pleasures and special occasions. You might treat your mother to a pedicure, or give your dog a tasty treat. Treat can also mean "to carry on negotiations," (the meaning that feeds into treaty), or "to take care of." A doctor treats your illness with medication. If you treat a boy as an adult, that means you act as though he is one, even if he's only 16. Treat him carefully!

Example Sentences

Key to J&J’s future is Tremfya, an IL-23 inhibitor used to treat several autoimmune conditions, such as plaque psoriasis.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

The 63-year-old man, dubbed the "Oslo patient", is the latest in around 10 people worldwide who have gone into long-term remission from HIV after receiving a transplant to treat unrelated blood cancer.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

While the dispute is centered in one neighborhood, similar battles are likely to play out elsewhere as nonprofit groups seek to expand services to treat mental health issues, addiction and homelessness.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Mr. McGovern has long wanted to treat the military dictatorship like a normal government.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

“They don’t treat them like animals. They bury them,” I corrected, trying not to scare her any more than she already was.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

Related Words

• conduct
• consider
• employ
• evaluate
• handle
• hold
• look upon
• manage
• play
• regard
• respect
• serve
• take
• use