contractor

noun con·trac·tor \ sense 1 is usually ˈkän-ˌtrak-tər , sense 2 is usually kən-ˈtrak- \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of contractor

1 : one that contracts or is party to a contract: such as

a : one that contracts to perform work or provide supplies

b : one that contracts to erect buildings

2 : something (such as a muscle) that contracts or shortens

See contractor defined for English-language learners

See contractor defined for kids

Examples of contractor in a Sentence

They hired a contractor to remodel the kitchen.

Recent Examples of contractor from the Web

Before the unseasonable weather over the weekend, McGrady said he had been told the contractors would be going through their final punch-list on Thursday.

— erika butler, The Aegis, "Finishing touches being put on ramp at Aberdeen Post Office," 12 Apr. 2018
Create an up to $20 million fund to pay private contractors doing welfare, corrections and training contracts.

— jason stein, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker signs new limits on welfare programs into law," 10 Apr. 2018
Northrop is the main contractor of the telescope and is currently integrating large pieces of the spacecraft at the company’s facilities in Redondo Beach, California.

— loren grush, The Verge, "SpaceX isn’t responsible for loss of Zuma spy satellite, WSJ report confirms," 9 Apr. 2018
The famous contractor, 39, who stars alongside his twin, Drew, on HGTV’s Property Brothers, was married briefly once before.

— mackenzie schmidt, PEOPLE.com, "Newly Single Property Brothers' Star Jonathan Scott's History of Troubled Relationships," 6 Apr. 2018
With funding from the BPA, the task force will hire contractors this summer to remove about 2,000 feet worth of levees and restore meandering tidal inlets.

— edward stratton, The Christian Science Monitor, "Farmers reshape land along Columbia River to bring salmon back," 2 Apr. 2018
And then there’s all the people that are revolving doors and military people into military contractors, blah, blah, blah.

— recode staff, Recode, "Full transcript: Chris Kirchhoff, formerly of the Pentagon’s Silicon Valley office, on Recode Decode," 31 Mar. 2018
New York City now pays contractors approximately $50 million per year to remove its biosolids, officials said.

— kate king, WSJ, "New York City’s Sewage Shipment Runs Afoul in Rural South," 30 Mar. 2018
But Authority officials said that was the result of the need to hire independent contractors to operate the West Closure Complex.

— mark schleifstein, NOLA.com, "Say yes to 4.75-mill West Jeff levee tax increase, BGR urges," 29 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'contractor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of contractor

1548

CONTRACTOR Defined for English Language Learners

contractor

noun

Definition of contractor for English Language Learners

: a person who is hired to perform work or to provide goods at a certain price or within a certain time

Medical Dictionary

contractor

noun con·trac·tor \ ˈkän-ˌtrak-tər , kən-ˈ \

medical Definition of contractor

: something (as a muscle) that contracts or shortens

Law Dictionary

contractor

noun con·trac·tor \ ˈkän-ˌtrak-tər, kən-ˈtrak- \

legal Definition of contractor

: one that contracts: as

a : one that contracts to perform work or provide supplies

b : one that contracts to erect buildings

Learn More about contractor

See words that rhyme with contractor Spanish Central: Translation of contractor Nglish: Translation of contractor for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of contractor for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about contractor

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contractor

Definition of contractor

Examples of contractor in a Sentence

Recent Examples of contractor from the Web

First Known Use of contractor

CONTRACTOR Defined for English Language Learners

contractor

Definition of contractor for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

contractor

medical Definition of contractor

Law Dictionary

contractor

legal Definition of contractor

Learn More about contractor

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CONTRACTOR Defined for English Language Learners

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