subcontractor

noun

sub·​con·​trac·​tor ˌsəb-ˈkän-ˌtrak-tər How to pronounce subcontractor (audio)
ˌsəb-kən-ˈtrak-
: an individual or business firm contracting to perform part or all of another's contract

Examples of subcontractor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Close to a quarter of the firms surveyed said their subcontractors had lost workers, according to the AGC. Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2025 Tod’s is the latest luxury brand to be scrutinized for allegedly failing to properly audit its suppliers whose subcontractors allegedly engaged in sweatshop schemes and workforce exploitation. Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025 As with American Eagle Outfitters and Puma, the facility was a subcontractor to one of Lucky Brand’s direct suppliers. Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 3 Oct. 2025 Remaining artifacts are split equally among the salvage company’s owners and its subcontractors, Guttuso said. Kate Payne, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for subcontractor

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of subcontractor was in 1798

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Cite this Entry

“Subcontractor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subcontractor. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

Legal Definition

subcontractor

noun
: one (as an individual or business) that contracts to perform part or all of the obligations of another's contract

More from Merriam-Webster on subcontractor

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