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

Traditional attitudes towards work also discouraged employees from taking holidays, as holidays were seen as a kind of privilege rather than a contractual right, Brown adds. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 23 July 2026

What exists instead is preference, habit and brand affinity, which are real but not contractual. — Gustaf Lundberg Toresson, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

Konigsberg cautioned that neither FIFA’s contractual arrangements with national federations nor Spain’s agreements with its players are fully transparent. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 23 July 2026

Both guilds, as well as SAG, traditionally have had contractual agreements with the Academy to waive any residual fees for use of clips on the Emmy show. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 17 July 2026

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

• factual
• tactual
• artifactual
• counterfactual

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