contract

1 of 3

noun

con·​tract ˈkän-ˌtrakt 

1

a

: a binding agreement between two or more persons or parties

especially : one legally enforceable

If he breaks the contract, he'll be sued.

b

: a business arrangement for the supply of goods or services at a fixed price

make parts on contract

c

: the act of marriage or an agreement to marry

2

: a document describing the terms of a contract

Have you signed the contract yet?

3

: the final bid to win a specified number of tricks in bridge

4

: an order or arrangement for a hired assassin to kill someone

His enemies put out a contract on him.

contract

2 of 3

verb

con·​tract

transitive verb sense 2a and intransitive verb sense 1 usually

ˈkän-ˌtrakt 

other senses usually

kən-ˈtrakt 

contracted; contracting; contracts

transitive verb

1

a

: to bring on oneself especially inadvertently : incur

contracting debts

b

: to become affected with

contract pneumonia

2

a

: to establish or undertake by contract

contract a job

b

: betroth

also : to establish (a marriage) formally

c(1)

: to hire by contract

contract a lawyer

(2)

: to purchase (goods, services, etc.) on a contract basis

—often used with out

3

a

: limit, restrict

contract the scope of their activities

b

: knit, wrinkle

A frown contracted his brow.

c

: to draw together : concentrate

He contracted his armies into one force

4

: to reduce to smaller size by or as if by squeezing or forcing together

contract a muscle

5

: to shorten (a word) by omitting one or more sounds or letters

Contract "forecastle" to "fo'c'sle."

intransitive verb

1

: to make a contract

The builder contracted with them to build a deck.

2

: to draw together so as to become diminished in size

Metal contracts on cooling.

also : to become less in compass, duration, or length

Muscle contracts in tetanus.

contractibility

kən-ˌtrak-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

ˌkän-

noun

contractible

kən-ˈtrak-tə-bəl 

ˈkän-ˌtrak-

adjective

contract

3 of 3

adjective

: hired to execute a contract (see contract entry 1 sense 1a)

a contract worker

a contract killer

Synonyms

Noun

• deal
• guarantee

Verb

• get
• catch
• come down (with)

Choose the Right Synonym for contract

contract, shrink, condense, compress, constrict, deflate mean to decrease in bulk or volume.

contract applies to a drawing together of surfaces or particles or a reduction of area or length.

caused her muscles to contract

shrink implies a contracting or a loss of material and stresses a falling short of original dimensions.

the sweater will shrink when washed

condense implies a reducing of something homogeneous to greater compactness without significant loss of content.

condense the essay into a paragraph

compress implies a pressing into a small compass and definite shape usually against resistance.

compressed cotton into bales

constrict implies a tightening that reduces diameter.

the throat is constricted by a tight collar

deflate implies a contracting by reducing the internal pressure of contained air or gas.

deflate the balloon

Examples of contract in a Sentence

Noun

The contract requires him to finish work by the end of the year.

I tore up the contract.

Have you signed the contract yet?

Verb

She contracted her lips into a frown.

The muscle expands and then contracts.

The hot metal contracted as it cooled.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Kross and Scarlett made headlines after their departures from WWE in August, following the expiration of their contracts. —Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025

The trust operates it under a contract with the Texas General Land Office, and the state plans to spend $400 million on a renovation with a new museum and visitor center set to open in 2027. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025

Verb

Both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are contracted through 2026, both deals penned in 2024. —Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025

Getting into conflict with strays can leave them with severe injuries or new illnesses, which can be contracted from scratches or bites. —Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025

Adjective

Alexander-Arnold’s Liverpool contract is scheduled to expire in June and he has been permitted sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club since the start of 2025. —David Ornstein, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025

David Pastrnak celebrated a mega-contract signing with a goal and assist, and Dmitry Orlov offered something of a Pastrnak impression in his home debut as the Bruins routed the Buffalo Sabres, 7-1, on Thursday night. —Frank Dell'apa, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English contract, contraȝt, contrait, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French contract, contrait, contrat (also continental Middle French), borrowed from Latin contractus "lessening in size, undertaking of a transaction, legal or commercial agreement," from contrac-, variant stem of contrahere "to draw together, reduce in size, bring together, enter into (an agreement, formal relationship), bring about, catch (an illness)" + -tus, suffix of action nouns — more at contract entry 2

Verb

Middle English contracten "to take a vow of marriage, incur (original sin)," in part borrowed from Latin contractus, past participle of contrahere "to draw together, reduce in size, bring together, enter into (an agreement, formal relationship), bring about, catch (an illness)," from con- con- + trahere "to drag, draw, take along"; in part borrowed from Middle French contracter "to engage in (a joint venture), contract (a marriage)," borrowed from Latin contractus — more at abstract entry 1

Adjective

from attributive use of contract entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Adjective

1936, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing contract

• breach of contract
• by contract
• contract bridge
• contract out
• cutthroat contract
• noncompetitive contract
• put/take out a contract on
• social contract
• under contract
• yellow-dog contract

Rhymes for contract

• abstract
• attacked
• attract
• contact
• detract
• distract
• enact
• exact
• extract
• hijacked
• impact
• intact

Kids Definition

contract

1 of 2 noun

con·​tract ˈkän-ˌtrakt 

1

: a legally binding agreement between two or more parties

2

: a document stating the terms of a contract

contract

2 of 2 verb

con·​tract kən-ˈtrakt 

sense 2 usually

ˈkän-ˌtrakt 

1

a

: to bring on oneself

contract debts

b

: to become affected with

contract a cold

2

: to agree by contract

contract to build a house

3

a

: to draw or squeeze together so as to make or become smaller or shorter and broader

brows contracting in puzzlement

contract a muscle

b

: to make or become smaller

metal contracts when cold

4

: to shorten (a word) by leaving out one or more sounds or letters

Medical Definition

contract

transitive verb

con·​tract

kən-ˈtrakt also ˈkän-ˌtrakt

1

: to become affected with

contract pneumonia

2

: to reduce to smaller size by or as if by squeezing or drawing together

treatment … inhibits spindle formation and contracts chromosomes

—Ernst Mayr

3

of a muscle or muscle fiber : to cause to undergo contraction

especially : to cause to shorten and thicken

intransitive verb

1

: to draw together so as to become diminished in size

2

of a muscle or muscle fiber : to undergo contraction

especially : to shorten and thicken

contractibility

kən-ˌtrak-tə-ˈbil-ət-ē, ˌkän- 

noun

plural contractibilities

contractible

kən-ˈtrak-tə-bəl, ˈkän-ˌ 

adjective

Legal Definition

contract

1 of 2 noun

con·​tract ˈkän-ˌtrakt 

1

: an agreement between two or more parties that creates in each party a duty to do or not do something and a right to performance of the other's duty or a remedy for the breach of the other's duty

also : a document embodying such an agreement see also accept, bargain entry 2, breach, cause sense 4, consent, consideration, duty, meeting of the minds, obligation, offer, performance, promise, rescind, social contract, subcontract, Uniform Commercial Code

Note: Contracts must be made by parties with the necessary capacity (as age or mental soundness) and must have a lawful, not criminal, object. Except in Louisiana, a valid contract also requires consideration, mutuality of obligations, and a meeting of the minds. In Louisiana, a valid contract requires the consent of the parties and a cause for the contract in addition to capacity and a lawful object.

— accessory contract

: a contract (as a security agreement) made to secure the performance of another obligation compare principal contract in this entry

— adhesion contract \ ad-​ˈhē-​zhən-​ \

: contract of adhesion in this entry

— aleatory contract

: a contract in which either party's performance is dependent on an uncertain event

— bilateral contract

: a contract in which both parties have promised to perform compare unilateral contract in this entry

— commutative contract

in the civil law of Louisiana : a contract in which the obligations of the parties to perform are equal to each other in value

— constructive contract

: quasi contract in this entry

— contract for deed

: land installment contract in this entry

— contract implied in fact

: implied contract in this entry

— contract implied in law

: quasi contract in this entry

— contract of adhesion

: a contract that is not negotiated by the parties and that is usually embodied in a standardized form prepared by the dominant party

— contract under seal

: a contract that does not require consideration in order to be binding but that must be sealed, delivered, and show a clear intention of the parties to create a contract under seal

Note: Contracts under seal were in use long prior to the development of the requirement of consideration. They originally usually were impressed with an actual seal, but today the word seal, the abbreviation L.S., or words such as “signed and sealed” or “witness my seal” may take the place of the seal. Without a clear indication of the parties' intention, however, the presence of a seal, such as a corporate seal, is insufficient to create a contract under seal. Contracts under seal have a substantially longer statute of limitations than contracts based on consideration.

— destination contract

: a contract for goods stipulating that the seller assumes the risk of loss from damage to the goods until they arrive at the destination specified in the contract compare shipment contract in this entry

— dual contract

: one of two contracts made by the same parties with regard to the same transaction

specifically : one of two contracts made with regard to the sale of real estate of which one states an inaccurately high price for the purpose of defrauding a lender into providing a larger loan

— executory contract

: a contract that sets forth promises that are not yet performed

— express contract

: a contract created by the explicit language of the parties compare implied contract in this entry

— formal contract

: a contract made binding by the observance of required formalities regardless of the giving of consideration

specifically : a contract that is a contract under seal, a recognizance, a letter of credit, or a negotiable instrument

called also special contract, specialty

— forward contract

: a privately negotiated investment contract in which a buyer commits to purchase something (as a quantity of a commodity, security, or currency) at a predetermined price on a set future date

called also forward

— futures contract

: a contract purchased or sold on an exchange in which a party agrees to buy or sell a quantity of a commodity on a specified future date at a set price : future

called also future contract

— gratuitous contract

in the civil law of Louisiana : a contract in which one party promises to do something without receiving anything in return compare onerous contract in this entry

— guaranteed investment contract

: an investment contract under which an institutional investor deposits a lump sum of money (as a pension fund) with an insurance company that guarantees the return of principal and a specific amount of interest at the end of the contract term

also : such a contract considered as an investment

purchased a guaranteed investment contract

called also GIC

— illusory contract \ i-​ˈlü-​sə-​rē-​, -​zə-​ \

: a contract in which at least one party makes an illusory promise

— implied contract

: a contract that a court infers to exist from the words and conduct of the parties

called also contract implied in fact, implied in fact contract

compare express contract in this entry

: quasi contract in this entry

— implied in law contract

: quasi contract in this entry

— informal contract

: any contract that is not a formal contract

called also simple contract

— innominate contract

in the civil law of Louisiana : a contract that is given no special designation as to its purpose compare nominate contract in this entry

— installment contract

: a contract in which performance is tendered in installments (as by separate periodic delivery of goods)

— investment contract

: an agreement or transaction in which a party invests money in a common enterprise the profits from which are derived from the efforts of others

— labor contract

: a contract between an employer and a labor union reached through and containing the results of collective bargaining : collective bargaining agreement

— land installment contract

: a contract for the purchase of real property in which the seller retains the deed to the property or otherwise continues to have an interest in it until the buyer makes payments in installments equal to the full purchase price or as much of the purchase price as agreed upon

called also contract for deed, land contract

— maritime contract

: a contract directly relating to the navigation, business, or commerce of the high seas or other navigable waters and falling within the jurisdiction of the admiralty court

— nominate contract

in the civil law of Louisiana : a contract given a special designation (as sale, insurance, or lease) compare innominate contract in this entry

— onerous contract

in the civil law of Louisiana : a contract in which each party obligates himself or herself in exchange for the promise of the other compare gratuitous contract in this entry

— option contract

: a contract in which a time period is specified within which an offer must be accepted

— output contract

: a contract in which the buyer agrees to buy and the seller agrees to sell all of a kind of goods that the seller produces

— principal contract

: a contract from which a secured obligation arises compare accessory contract in this entry

— quasi contract

: an obligation that is not created by a contract but that is imposed by law to prevent the unjust enrichment of one party from the acts of another party

called also contract implied in law, implied in law contract

in the civil law of Louisiana : a lawful and voluntary act that benefits another for which the law imposes an obligation on the beneficiary or a third party to compensate the actor compare offense sense 2

— requirements contract

: a contract in which the seller agrees to sell and the buyer agrees to buy all of a kind of goods that the buyer requires

— shipment contract

: a contract in which the seller bears the risk of loss from damage to the goods only until they are brought to the place of shipment compare destination contract in this entry

— simple contract

: informal contract in this entry

— special contract

: a contract containing provisions and stipulations not ordinarily found in contracts of its kind

: formal contract in this entry

— substituted contract

: a contract between parties to a prior contract that takes the place of and discharges the obligations under the prior contract compare accord sense 3, novation

— synallagmatic contract

in the civil law of Louisiana : bilateral contract in this entry

— unilateral contract

: a contract in which only one party is obligated to perform compare bilateral contract in this entry

— yellow-dog contract

: an illegal employment contract in which a worker disavows membership in and agrees not to join a labor union in order to get a job

2

: an insurance policy

3

: the study of the law regarding contracts

—usually used in pl.

contract

2 of 2 transitive verb

1

: to undertake or establish by a contract

2

: to purchase (as goods or services) on a contract basis

—often used with out

intransitive verb

: to make a contract

Etymology

Noun

Latin contractus from contrahere to draw together, enter into (a relationship or agreement), from com- with, together + trahere to draw