treat

treat treat [triːt] verb [transitive]

1. to deal with someone or something in a particular way:

• We treat all complaints very seriously.

treat somebody/​something as

• Proceeds from the asset transfers won't be treated as income.

• Some information ought to be treated as confidential.

2. to put a special substance on something to clean or protect it, or to make it safe:

• The convention insists that countries should treat their own hazardous wastes.

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treat UK US /triːt/ verb [T]

► to behave towards or think of someone or something in a particular way: treat sb/sth as sth »

We must treat employees as allies in achieving change.

treat sb/sth equally/fairly/unfairly »

It very hard to prove that the company had been treated unfairly.

treat sb/sth like sth »

The company treated their initial public offering more like a marketing opportunity than a capital-raising exercise.

► to deal with something in a particular way: »

Each Fund is treated as a single tax entity.

»

The employment department said the unemployment figures should be treated with caution.

► PRODUCTION to put a special substance on something or put it through a special process, in order to protect it, clean it, or make it safe: treat sth with sth »

We treat the material with resin to make it waterproof.