Meaning of ‘Agree’

Agree is a versatile verb meaning to:
– Reach harmony on opinions or actions (e.g., “They agreed on the plan”).
– Give approval or assent (e.g., “She agreed to the proposal”).
– Match or correspond with something (e.g., “The facts don’t agree“).
– In grammar, align in gender/number/case (e.g., “The pronoun agrees with the noun”).

Pronunciation & Stress

– UK/PR: /əˈɡɹiː/ (“uh-GREE”)
– US: /əˈɡɹɪ/ (“uh-GREE” or “uh-GREE-uh”)

Always stress the second syllable (“GREE”).

Morphology

– Root: **agree**
– Forms: agrees (/zɪz/), agreeing (/iːɪŋ/), agreed (/d/).
– Prefixes: Often combined with “come around,” “come to,” or “accord with” in compound phrases.

Grammar Notes

• Used intransitively (without an object) in contexts of consensus (e.g., “We agree on the date”).
• Used transitively (with an object) in British English (e.g., “They agreed the contract”). North American English prefers “agreed to” here.
• Always catenative with “to + verb” (e.g., “She agreed to help“).
• Rarely used in continuous tense (not: “is agreeing easily”).

Fast Facts

– The root comes from Proto-Indo-European *gʷerH-* (“to welcome”), linking “agree” to words like “gracious” and “greet.”

– No direct synonym shares the full range of meanings (e.g., “concur” can’t replace “agree to a price”).)

Examples

Simple: “I agree with you.”

Medium: “They agreed to split the fee 50-50.”

Complex: “The clauses agree exactly with the initial proposal, ensuring compliance.”

Related Words

Synonyms:
– Opinions: concur, harmonize, coincide.
– Approval: accede, consent, assent.
– Correspondence: match, tally, align.

Antonyms: disagree, dissent, contrast.

Common combinations:
agree with, agree to, agree on, agree that…

Mini-Tasks

• Rewrite a sentence using “agree on” instead of “reach a decision about.”
• Find a synonym for “agree” from the list that fits: “The colors ______ the theme.” (Answer: match/coincide)
• Use “agree” in a sentence about school work.