treatise Meaning, Definition & Usage

OE. tretis, OF. treitis, traitis, well made. See Treat.

A written composition on a particular subject, in which its principles are discussed or explained; a tract. Chaucer.
He published a treatise in which he maintained that a marriage between a member of the Church of England and a dissenter was a nullity. Macaulay.
✍ A treatise implies more form and method than an essay, but may fall short of the fullness and completeness of a systematic exposition.
Story; discourse. R. Shak.