subcontracts; subcontracted; subcontracting
: to hire another person or company to do part of a job that you have been hired to do
Parts of the project were subcontracted (out) to specialists. = Specialists were subcontracted for parts of the project.
The large firm subcontracted with a smaller company.
plural subcontracts
: a legal agreement by which you hire another person or company to do part of a job you have been hired to do
Cite this Entry
“Subcontract.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/subcontract. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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