subcontractor

noun

sub·​con·​trac·​tor ˌsəb-ˈkän-ˌtrak-tər 

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

In January 2020, one subcontractor was killed and another worker was hurt after an anhydrous ammonia leak at a Lineage facility in North Carolina, according to local reporting. —Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2025

After the 2010 explosion, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined U.S. Steel and a subcontractor $175,000 for safety violations. —Marc Levy, Chicago Tribune, 11 Aug. 2025

Utility company Ameren confirmed to PEOPLE that a contractor and its subcontractor were repairing and replacing tower lighting and marker balls on transmission lines in Madison County, Ill., when the incident occurred. —Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 8 Aug. 2025

The Star-Telegram contacted a number of companies and subcontractors who have filed liens against Waldrop. —Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for subcontractor

• benefactor
• chiropractor
• malefactor
• multifactor
• acter
• actor
• factor
• tractor
• attractor
• cofactor
• compactor
• contactor

Legal Definition

subcontractor

noun

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