con·tact
ˈkän-ˌtakt 
1
a
: union or junction of surfaces
Cooling begins when the lava makes contact with the air.
b
: the apparent touching or mutual tangency of the limbs of two celestial bodies or of the disk of one body with the shadow of another during an eclipse, transit, or occultation
c(1)
: the junction of two electrical conductors through which a current passes
(2)
: a special part made for such a junction
The camera's flash wasn't working because the electrical contacts needed to be cleaned.
2
a
: association, relationship
students and teachers in daily contact
b
: connection, communication
I lost contact with her years ago.
c
: an establishing of communication with someone or an observing or receiving of a significant signal from a person or object
radar contact with Mars
3
: a person serving as a go-between, messenger, connection, or source of special information
business contacts
4
: contact lens
She wears contacts more often than glasses.
con·tact
ˈkän-ˌtakt
kən-ˈtakt
contacted; contacting; contacts
: to make contact
the point at which the two surfaces contact
1
: to bring into contact
2
a
: to enter or be in contact with : join
The spark contacted the gunpowder.
b
: to get in communication with
Contact your local dealer.
Is contact a verb?: Usage Guide
The use of contact as a verb, especially in sense 2b, is accepted as standard by almost all commentators except those who write college handbooks.
con·tact
ˈkän-ˌtakt
: maintaining, involving, or activated or caused by contact
contact poisons
contact sports
contact dermatitis
Examples of contact in a Sentence
Noun
Physical contact between a mother and child is very important.
a disease that is spread by sexual contact
Contacts between the two leaders have been frequent in recent weeks.
I applied for a job at that law firm because I have a contact there.
Verb
For more information, contact the city's tourism office.
We were able to contact them by radio.
She contacted everyone on the list.
Adjective
Ice hockey is a contact sport.
Recent Examples on the Web
Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2025
After crashing an exchange with a local drug dealer — $10 million for Castro's contacts — and chasing Torque through the back alleys of L.A., Hondo puts a bullet between Torque's eyes.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 17 May 2025
Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025
Masterson contacted Hussman, who hired him to work in Little Rock as an investigative reporter for all of the WEHCO newspapers, which included the Arkansas Democrat as well as those in Texarkana, Camden, Hot Springs, El Dorado and Magnolia.
—Bill Bowden, Arkansas Online, 18 May 2025
Matt Novak / Gizmodo, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2024
The most common injuries in football are strains and sprains, which happen in both contact and non-contact settings, along with dislocations, fractures and concussions.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for contact
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
In the new film, Jobson plays Chloe, a struggling artist and former drug mule who gets pulled into doing one final job: Running drugs across London for an old contact, the elusive Mads.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2025
After crashing an exchange with a local drug dealer — $10 million for Castro's contacts — and chasing Torque through the back alleys of L.A., Hondo puts a bullet between Torque's eyes.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 17 May 2025
Verb
Newsweek contacted the Orleans Parish Sheriff's office via email on Sunday outside of usual working hours.
—Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025
Masterson contacted Hussman, who hired him to work in Little Rock as an investigative reporter for all of the WEHCO newspapers, which included the Arkansas Democrat as well as those in Texarkana, Camden, Hot Springs, El Dorado and Magnolia.
—Bill Bowden, Arkansas Online, 18 May 2025
Adjective
Industries with traditionally late, or erratic hours, or those that require workers to be on-call, would still be allowed to contact workers as long as non-contact hours are clearly stated in worker contracts, or on-call time is compensated.
—Matt Novak / Gizmodo, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2024
The most common injuries in football are strains and sprains, which happen in both contact and non-contact settings, along with dislocations, fractures and concussions.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for contact
Cite this Entry
“Contact.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contact. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
contact
1 of 3 noun
con·tact
ˈkän-ˌtakt
1
: a meeting or touching of surfaces
2
: the connection of two electrical conductors through which a current passes or a part made for such a connection
3
: a person one knows who has influence especially in the business or political world
our contacts in Los Angeles may be able to assist you
4
: an establishing of communication especially with someone or something distant
make contact by radio
5
contact
2 of 3 verb
con·tact
ˈkän-ˌtakt
kən-ˈtakt
1
: to bring or come into contact
2
: to get in touch or communication with
contact your local dealer for details
contact
3 of 3 adjective
con·tact
ˈkän-ˌtakt
: involving or acting upon contact
football and ice hockey are contact sports
contact insecticides
Etymology
Noun
from French contact or Latin contactus, both meaning "a touching of body surfaces," from Latin contingere "to have contact with, affect, happen," from con-, com- "with, together" and tangere "to touch" — related to contagious, contingent, tangent, tangible
Medical Definition
contact
1 of 2 noun
con·tact
ˈkän-ˌtakt
1
: union or junction of body surfaces
sexual contact
2
a
: the junction of two electrical conductors through which a current passes
b
: a special part that has been made for such a junction
3
: direct experience through the senses
loss of contact with reality
4
contact
2 of 2 adjective
: caused or transmitted by direct or indirect contact (as with an allergen or a contagious disease)
a contact allergy
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