contractual

adjective

con·​trac·​tu·​al kən-ˈtrak-chə-wəl 

-chəl, 

-shwəl, 

-chü-əl

: of, relating to, or constituting a contract

contractually adverb

Examples of contractual in a Sentence

They had to fulfill their contractual obligations before they could get paid.

Recent Examples on the Web

The new language requires the charter school to have an agreement with back-office service providers that affirms the charter school’s contractual right to view, inspect, copy and disclose to the district the financial records associated with the school. —Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 19 Dec. 2025

The lawsuit filed in the Middle District of Tennessee Court in late November details the deterioration of the relationship between Hardee’s and ARC Burger over the course of months, as the franchise allegedly failed to pay its contractual obligations to the corporation. —Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 18 Dec. 2025

These contractual duties are standard, non-punitive, and unrelated to her decision to withdraw from Miss Universe. —Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 16 Dec. 2025

These investors, by virtue of their financial position or contractual rights, could obtain influence — direct or indirect — over business decisions that bear upon editorial independence, content moderation, distribution priorities, or the stewardship of Americans’ private data. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 10 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin contractuālis, from Latin contractu-, stem of contractus contract entry 1 + -ālis -al entry 1

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for contractual

• artifactual
• counterfactual
• factual
• tactual

Kids Definition

contractual

adjective

con·​trac·​tu·​al kən-ˈtrak-chə(-wə)l 

kän-, 

-ˈtraksh-wəl

: of, relating to, or being a contract

contractual agreements

contractually

-ē

adverb

Legal Definition

contractual

adjective

con·​trac·​tu·​al kən-ˈtrak-chə-wəl 

: of, relating to, or constituting a contract

a contractual agreement

contractually adverb