contract

SayKON-trakt/ˈkɑntɹækt//ˈkɒntɹækt/

As a verbkuhn-TRAKT

Pluralcontracts

Verbcontracts, contracting, contracted

13 meanings of contract

Practice

1
nouncountable
An official agreement between people or companies that the law can enforce.
Like a promise written on paper so everyone agrees to the same plan.
The builders signed a contract to finish the house by spring.
Her contract runs for six months, and then she can renew it.
UsageSay sign a contract or a contract with a company.
Similaragreement, deal
2
written documentnouncountable
The piece of paper that records a deal between people.
Like a receipt that proves what everyone agreed to.
She signed the contract with a blue pen.
Read the whole contract before you agree to it.
Similaragreement
Note
3
verbtransitive
To make an official agreement with someone, for example to do work or provide something.
Like hiring someone with a written promise to do a job.
The city contracted a local firm to repair the roads.
They plan to contract a cleaning service for the office.
UsageSay contract a firm to fix the roads.
Similarhire, engage, commission, employ, retain
4
catch illnessverbtransitive
To catch or come down with an illness or disease.
Like picking up mud on your shoes without meaning to.
He contracted a bad cold after the camping trip.
You can contract the virus by touching infected surfaces.
UsageMore formal than catch or get: contract a disease from someone.
Similarcatch, get, develop, acquire
5
verbtransitive or intransitive
To become smaller or tighter, or to pull together.
Like a sponge shrinking as it dries out.
Metal will contract when it cools down.
The muscle contracts and then relaxes again.
UsageThe opposite is expand: metal contracts when it cools.
Similarshrink, tighten, narrow, constrict
Oppositeexpand, dilate, swell
Note

Less common meanings

6
order to killnouncolloquialcountable
An order to a paid killer to murder a person.
The gang put a contract on the witness before the trial.
Police believe someone paid for a contract on the businessman.
UsageSay a contract on someone.
7
take on (debt)verbtransitive
To bring something on yourself, such as a debt.
Like picking up small debts until they add up to a lot.
Over the years he contracted heavy debts he could not repay.
Try not to contract big debts while you run a small shop.
UsageFormal; used mostly in contract a debt or contract a habit.
Similarincur, acquire
Note
8
shorten (words)verbtransitive
To make a word shorter by leaving out letters or sounds.
Like squeezing a long word into a shorter one by taking some letters out.
When we write quickly, we contract 'it is' to 'it's'.
Many speakers contract 'going to' into 'gonna'.
UsageSay contract 'it is' to 'it's'.
Similarshorten, abbreviate
Oppositeexpand
Note
9
law subjectnoununcountable
The part of law that deals with agreements and how courts enforce them.
Like the school subject where you learn the rules about promises people make.
He found contract the hardest subject in his first year of law school.
Students must pass contract before moving on to other courses.
UsageSay study contract, like a school subject.
10
arrange marriageverbtransitive
To promise that two people will marry each other.
Like a promise that two people will become husband and wife.
Her father wished to contract her to a wealthy merchant.
They contracted their eldest daughter to a neighboring lord.
UsageSay contracted to someone.
Similarbetroth, engage, pledge, promise
Note
11
bridge bidnouncountable
In the card game bridge, a promise to win a set number of rounds, with or without a trump suit.
Like a bet where you promise to win a set number of rounds.
Their contract was four hearts, so they needed ten tricks.
She bid a risky contract and barely managed to make it.
Note
12
adjectiveobsolete
Promised to marry someone.
But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes, feed'st thy light's flame with self-substantial fuel
1609, William Shakespeare, Sonnet 1Here, contracted means promised to marry, as if engaged.
Note
13
adjectiveobsolete
Real and specific, not just an idea.
But now in eche kinde of these, there are certaine nombers named Abſtracte: and other called nombers Contracte.
1557, Robert Recorde, The Whetstone of WitteHere, contracte means real and specific, not just an idea.
Note

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of contract apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–2, 6, 9, 11–13

It comes from Latin contractus, from contrahere meaning "to bring together" (con- "together" + trahere "to pull").

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 5 facts

Contract derives ultimately from Latin contractus, formed from contrahere. en.wiktionary.org
Contrahere means to bring together. en.wiktionary.org
Contrahere combines con- and trahere. en.wiktionary.org
Latin con- means together. en.wiktionary.org
Latin trahere means to pull. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 3–5, 7–8, 10

It comes from Latin contrahere, meaning "to bring together" (con- "together" + trahere "to pull"). The verb first meant only "draw together," and the "make a contract" sense came later.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 6 facts

English contract derives ultimately from Latin contrahere. en.wiktionary.org
Latin contrahere means to bring together. en.wiktionary.org
Contrahere combines con- and trahere. en.wiktionary.org
Latin con- means together. en.wiktionary.org
Latin trahere means to pull. en.wiktionary.org
The English verb originally meant only draw together; its contractual sense developed later. en.wiktionary.org