contract

1 of 3

noun

con·​tract ˈkän-ˌtrakt How to pronounce contract (audio)
1
a
: a binding agreement between two or more persons or parties
especially : one legally enforceable
If he breaks the contract, he'll be sued.
b
: a business arrangement for the supply of goods or services at a fixed price
make parts on contract
c
: the act of marriage or an agreement to marry
2
: a document describing the terms of a contract
Have you signed the contract yet?
3
: the final bid to win a specified number of tricks in bridge
4
: an order or arrangement for a hired assassin to kill someone
His enemies put out a contract on him.

contract

2 of 3

verb

con·​tract
transitive verb sense 2a and intransitive verb sense 1 usually
ˈkän-ˌtrakt How to pronounce contract (audio)
other senses usually
kən-ˈtrakt How to pronounce contract (audio)
contracted; contracting; contracts

transitive verb

1
a
: to bring on oneself especially inadvertently : incur
contracting debts
b
: to become affected with
contract pneumonia
2
a
: to establish or undertake by contract
contract a job
b
: betroth
also : to establish (a marriage) formally
c(1)
: to hire by contract
contract a lawyer
(2)
: to purchase (goods, services, etc.) on a contract basis
often used with out
3
a
: limit, restrict
contract the scope of their activities
b
: knit, wrinkle
A frown contracted his brow.
c
: to draw together : concentrate
He contracted his armies into one force
4
: to reduce to smaller size by or as if by squeezing or forcing together
contract a muscle
5
: to shorten (a word) by omitting one or more sounds or letters
Contract "forecastle" to "fo'c'sle."

intransitive verb

1
: to make a contract
The builder contracted with them to build a deck.
2
: to draw together so as to become diminished in size
Metal contracts on cooling.
also : to become less in compass, duration, or length
Muscle contracts in tetanus.
contractibility noun
contractible
kən-ˈtrak-tə-bəl How to pronounce contract (audio)
ˈkän-ˌtrak-
adjective

contract

3 of 3

adjective

: hired to execute a contract (see contract entry 1 sense 1a)
a contract worker
a contract killer
Choose the Right Synonym for contract

contract, shrink, condense, compress, constrict, deflate mean to decrease in bulk or volume.

contract applies to a drawing together of surfaces or particles or a reduction of area or length.

caused her muscles to contract

shrink implies a contracting or a loss of material and stresses a falling short of original dimensions.

the sweater will shrink when washed

condense implies a reducing of something homogeneous to greater compactness without significant loss of content.

condense the essay into a paragraph

compress implies a pressing into a small compass and definite shape usually against resistance.

compressed cotton into bales

constrict implies a tightening that reduces diameter.

the throat is constricted by a tight collar

deflate implies a contracting by reducing the internal pressure of contained air or gas.

deflate the balloon

Examples of contract in a Sentence

Noun The contract requires him to finish work by the end of the year. I tore up the contract. Have you signed the contract yet? Verb She contracted her lips into a frown. The muscle expands and then contracts. The hot metal contracted as it cooled.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
When a talent scout signed Mary to a contract at MGM, the family headed to Burbank, and the sisters appeared in the 1936 short film Signing Off. Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 Hobbs could put another $10 million toward the program, according to the state's contract. Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024 The Heat signed Mills to a minimum contract for the rest of the season. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Harbaugh, given the chance to replace Staley, took the Chargers’ job last month despite Michigan offering him a new contract. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024 Birk signed the contract on Feb. 22 and Middletown City Council unanimously approved it at their meeting Tuesday night. Jennifer Edwards Baker, The Enquirer, 6 Mar. 2024 Employees report that Russian occupiers coerced them into adopting Russian citizenship and signing contracts with Rosatom. Nataliya Gumenyuk, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2024 Referencing a contract between the Eagles and Sanders from 1979 — which set ground rules for the book project and asserted that all materials given to the writer were the property of the Eagles — Ginandes also asserted that Henley was the rightful owner of the pads in question. David Browne, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2024 More:National Business League helps Black suppliers gain $100 million in contracts More:Dave Bing concerned about Joe Biden losing African American support Benzinga is a financial news and data company headquartered in Detroit. Detroit Free Press, 24 Feb. 2024
Verb
Free agency begins next week, but Rams general manager Les Snead made a big move Thursday by agreeing to contract terms with Dotson, said a person with knowledge of the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly. Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Van Horn said sophomore right-hander Ben Bybee, who contracted mononucleosis just after a hamstring issue, could be back next week. Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 5 Mar. 2024 Watkins is also the chair of the Florida Coalition for Children’s board of directors, which represents the various child welfare groups that contract with the state, and is active in Republican political circles. Ana Ceballos, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024 If price analysis determines a price is unbalanced – where one or more line items are significantly overstated or understated – a contracting officer will proceed to a two-party analysis to consider the risk of paying unreasonably high prices and the risk of unsuccessful performance. Bradford Betz, Fox News, 3 Mar. 2024 Consumer spending contracted, while the shortfall in home buying depressed property values and in doing so eroded the net worth of all Chinese homeowners, further stifling confidence and consumer spending. Milton Ezrati, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 His center contracted with CDPH and federal authorities to reach Latinos, employing mobile units to test, vaccinate and eventually provide antivirals to workers around the Sacramento Valley. Cathie Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 29 Feb. 2024 In general, deer catch EHD while livestock catch blue tongue, but deer can also contract blue tongue in rare instances. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 29 Feb. 2024 Cybersecurity experts and intelligence chiefs acknowledge that the US government is under constant attack from professional hackers abroad, many of whom are aligned with, if not directly contracted by, the hostile nations that Biden’s new executive order aims to repel. Dell Cameron, WIRED, 28 Feb. 2024
Adjective
David Pastrnak celebrated a mega-contract signing with a goal and assist, and Dmitry Orlov offered something of a Pastrnak impression in his home debut as the Bruins routed the Buffalo Sabres, 7-1, on Thursday night. Frank Dell'apa, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Mar. 2023 FC Barcelona have reached a pre-contract agreement with Sevilla's Jules Kounde. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 24 July 2022 According to multiple publications, Ball Corporation will now require that non-contract customers order no fewer than five truckloads (roughly one million cans) per each of their beverages starting on January 1. The Salt Lake Tribune, 1 Dec. 2021 The company almost never loses workplace arbitrations, though it was hit with a $1 million award in May in a case brought by another ex-contract worker that was similar to Diaz’s. Fortune, 5 Oct. 2021 Throughout the pre-contract process, Pareja said Mueller maintained a professional attitude and a respect for his current club. Julia Poe, orlandosentinel.com, 31 July 2021 Mueller was eyeing a potential midseason transfer to a Belgian team according to a report from the Athletic, but ultimately settled on the pre-contract process. Julia Poe, orlandosentinel.com, 21 July 2021 That might sound like a lot of work to put in for a business that’s still only a potential client, but a few hours spent during the pre-contract process would have saved me six months of frustration in the long run. Christopher Tompkins, Forbes, 21 June 2021 Township trustees set aside a pool of up to $155,518 for the 2021 raises, which represents about 3.5% of the $5.4 million payroll for non-contract employees. Sue Kiesewetter, The Enquirer, 27 Mar. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contract.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin contractus, from contrahere to draw together, make a contract, reduce in size, from com- + trahere to draw

Verb

Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French contracter to agree upon, from Latin contractus — see contract entry 1

Adjective

derivative of contract entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Adjective

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of contract was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near contract

Cite this Entry

“Contract.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contract. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

contract

1 of 2 noun
con·​tract ˈkän-ˌtrakt How to pronounce contract (audio)
1
: a legally binding agreement between two or more parties
2
: a document stating the terms of a contract

contract

2 of 2 verb
con·​tract kən-ˈtrakt How to pronounce contract (audio)
sense 2 usually
ˈkän-ˌtrakt How to pronounce contract (audio)
1
a
: to bring on oneself
contract debts
b
: to become affected with
contract a cold
2
: to agree by contract
contract to build a house
3
a
: to draw or squeeze together so as to make or become smaller or shorter and broader
brows contracting in puzzlement
contract a muscle
b
: to make or become smaller
metal contracts when cold
4
: to shorten (a word) by leaving out one or more sounds or letters

Medical Definition

contract

transitive verb
con·​tract
kən-ˈtrakt also ˈkän-ˌtrakt
1
: to become affected with
contract pneumonia
2
: to reduce to smaller size by or as if by squeezing or drawing together
treatment … inhibits spindle formation and contracts chromosomesErnst Mayr
3
of a muscle or muscle fiber : to cause to undergo contraction
especially : to cause to shorten and thicken

intransitive verb

1
: to draw together so as to become diminished in size
2
of a muscle or muscle fiber : to undergo contraction
especially : to shorten and thicken
contractibility noun
plural contractibilities
contractible adjective

Legal Definition

contract

1 of 2 noun
con·​tract ˈkän-ˌtrakt How to pronounce contract (audio)
1
: an agreement between two or more parties that creates in each party a duty to do or not do something and a right to performance of the other's duty or a remedy for the breach of the other's duty
also : a document embodying such an agreement see also accept, bargain entry 2, breach, cause sense 4, consent, consideration, duty, meeting of the minds, obligation, offer, performance, promise, rescind, social contract, subcontract, Uniform Commercial Code

Note: Contracts must be made by parties with the necessary capacity (as age or mental soundness) and must have a lawful, not criminal, object. Except in Louisiana, a valid contract also requires consideration, mutuality of obligations, and a meeting of the minds. In Louisiana, a valid contract requires the consent of the parties and a cause for the contract in addition to capacity and a lawful object.

accessory contract
: a contract (as a security agreement) made to secure the performance of another obligation compare principal contract in this entry
adhesion contract \ ad-​ˈhē-​zhən-​ \
: contract of adhesion in this entry
aleatory contract
: a contract in which either party's performance is dependent on an uncertain event
bilateral contract
: a contract in which both parties have promised to perform compare unilateral contract in this entry
commutative contract
in the civil law of Louisiana : a contract in which the obligations of the parties to perform are equal to each other in value
constructive contract
: quasi contract in this entry
contract for deed
: land installment contract in this entry
contract implied in fact
: implied contract in this entry
contract implied in law
: quasi contract in this entry
contract of adhesion
: a contract that is not negotiated by the parties and that is usually embodied in a standardized form prepared by the dominant party
contract under seal
: a contract that does not require consideration in order to be binding but that must be sealed, delivered, and show a clear intention of the parties to create a contract under seal

Note: Contracts under seal were in use long prior to the development of the requirement of consideration. They originally usually were impressed with an actual seal, but today the word seal, the abbreviation L.S., or words such as “signed and sealed” or “witness my seal” may take the place of the seal. Without a clear indication of the parties' intention, however, the presence of a seal, such as a corporate seal, is insufficient to create a contract under seal. Contracts under seal have a substantially longer statute of limitations than contracts based on consideration.

destination contract
: a contract for goods stipulating that the seller assumes the risk of loss from damage to the goods until they arrive at the destination specified in the contract compare shipment contract in this entry
dual contract
: one of two contracts made by the same parties with regard to the same transaction
specifically : one of two contracts made with regard to the sale of real estate of which one states an inaccurately high price for the purpose of defrauding a lender into providing a larger loan
executory contract
: a contract that sets forth promises that are not yet performed
express contract
: a contract created by the explicit language of the parties compare implied contract in this entry
formal contract
: a contract made binding by the observance of required formalities regardless of the giving of consideration
specifically : a contract that is a contract under seal, a recognizance, a letter of credit, or a negotiable instrument

called also special contract, specialty

forward contract
: a privately negotiated investment contract in which a buyer commits to purchase something (as a quantity of a commodity, security, or currency) at a predetermined price on a set future date

called also forward

futures contract
: a contract purchased or sold on an exchange in which a party agrees to buy or sell a quantity of a commodity on a specified future date at a set price : future

called also future contract

gratuitous contract
in the civil law of Louisiana : a contract in which one party promises to do something without receiving anything in return compare onerous contract in this entry
guaranteed investment contract
: an investment contract under which an institutional investor deposits a lump sum of money (as a pension fund) with an insurance company that guarantees the return of principal and a specific amount of interest at the end of the contract term
also : such a contract considered as an investment
purchased a guaranteed investment contract

called also GIC

illusory contract \ i-​ˈlü-​sə-​rē-​, -​zə-​ \
: a contract in which at least one party makes an illusory promise
implied contract
: a contract that a court infers to exist from the words and conduct of the parties

called also contract implied in fact, implied in fact contract

compare express contract in this entry
: quasi contract in this entry
implied in law contract
: quasi contract in this entry
informal contract
: any contract that is not a formal contract

called also simple contract

innominate contract
in the civil law of Louisiana : a contract that is given no special designation as to its purpose compare nominate contract in this entry
installment contract
: a contract in which performance is tendered in installments (as by separate periodic delivery of goods)
investment contract
: an agreement or transaction in which a party invests money in a common enterprise the profits from which are derived from the efforts of others
labor contract
: a contract between an employer and a labor union reached through and containing the results of collective bargaining : collective bargaining agreement
land installment contract
: a contract for the purchase of real property in which the seller retains the deed to the property or otherwise continues to have an interest in it until the buyer makes payments in installments equal to the full purchase price or as much of the purchase price as agreed upon

called also contract for deed, land contract

maritime contract
: a contract directly relating to the navigation, business, or commerce of the high seas or other navigable waters and falling within the jurisdiction of the admiralty court
nominate contract
in the civil law of Louisiana : a contract given a special designation (as sale, insurance, or lease) compare innominate contract in this entry
onerous contract
in the civil law of Louisiana : a contract in which each party obligates himself or herself in exchange for the promise of the other compare gratuitous contract in this entry
option contract
: a contract in which a time period is specified within which an offer must be accepted
output contract
: a contract in which the buyer agrees to buy and the seller agrees to sell all of a kind of goods that the seller produces
principal contract
: a contract from which a secured obligation arises compare accessory contract in this entry
quasi contract
: an obligation that is not created by a contract but that is imposed by law to prevent the unjust enrichment of one party from the acts of another party

called also contract implied in law, implied in law contract

in the civil law of Louisiana : a lawful and voluntary act that benefits another for which the law imposes an obligation on the beneficiary or a third party to compensate the actor compare offense sense 2
requirements contract
: a contract in which the seller agrees to sell and the buyer agrees to buy all of a kind of goods that the buyer requires
shipment contract
: a contract in which the seller bears the risk of loss from damage to the goods only until they are brought to the place of shipment compare destination contract in this entry
simple contract
: informal contract in this entry
special contract
: a contract containing provisions and stipulations not ordinarily found in contracts of its kind
: formal contract in this entry
substituted contract
: a contract between parties to a prior contract that takes the place of and discharges the obligations under the prior contract compare accord sense 3, novation
synallagmatic contract
in the civil law of Louisiana : bilateral contract in this entry
unilateral contract
: a contract in which only one party is obligated to perform compare bilateral contract in this entry
yellow-dog contract
: an illegal employment contract in which a worker disavows membership in and agrees not to join a labor union in order to get a job
2
: an insurance policy
3
: the study of the law regarding contracts
usually used in pl.

contract

2 of 2 transitive verb
1
: to undertake or establish by a contract
2
: to purchase (as goods or services) on a contract basis
often used with out

intransitive verb

: to make a contract
Etymology

Noun

Latin contractus from contrahere to draw together, enter into (a relationship or agreement), from com- with, together + trahere to draw

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