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

By far, the most important factor driving any contractual decision for the 28-year-old superstar is preserving the chance to compete for championships. —Chris Johnston, New York Times, 19 June 2025

The plaintiffs’ attorneys argued in their court papers that the arbitration clause only applied to contractual disputes. —City News Service, Oc Register, 18 June 2025

Milwaukee now stands at a contractual crossroads with Portis. —Brian Sampson, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025

Moran said the system must evaluate its use of costly vendors, reduce reliance on contractual employees, and listen to feedback from staff on how things can be better run. —Sam Gauntt, Baltimore Sun, 15 June 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