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

Employees for subcontractors Kates Detective & Security Agency and Rush Solutions were also impacted, according to Monterrey. —Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026

Chief among the coalition’s asks are guaranteed livable wages for all local World Cup workers, along with accountability mechanisms to ensure that the contractors and subcontractors who hire those workers comply. —Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026

The parking garage under construction at 30th Street collapsed Wednesday, April 8, when a subcontractor was installing precast concrete pieces and one failed, leading to a cascading collapse. —Joe Brandt, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026

While the city contracts with about 20 non-governmental organizations for homeless services and even more subcontractors, Mitchell contended the city applies few or no performance metrics to them. —Steven Mihailovich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2026

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