memorandum of agreement; memorandum of understanding; letter of intent; heads of agreement
A formal document outlining the terms of an agreement or understanding between parties, often used in business or legal contexts. The English glosses reflect different levels of formality and binding intent.
The two companies exchanged a memorandum of agreement before starting the project.
This memorandum of understanding includes a clause regarding confidentiality.
Compound of 協議 (consultation, discussion) and 書 (document). The term is a straightforward Sino-Japanese compound reflecting its meaning.