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

As a measure of the decline in industrial capacity, the number of subcontractors making up the submarine industrial base has shrunk from 15,000 at the close of the Cold War to the current 3,000 to 4,000, Courtney said. —Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 4 Jan. 2026

These probes revealed that brands frequently outsourced production to a network of subcontractors — many Chinese-owned — who utilized undocumented labor in sweatshop-like conditions to maximize profit margins. —Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 29 Dec. 2025

Dinkytown Athletes serves as a subcontractor. —Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 24 Dec. 2025

According to Hussain, streamlined operations, stronger subcontractor relationships, and new client acquisitions have helped position CCCE for sustainable expansion. —Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 23 Dec. 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