contract

Pronunciation

noun

• enPR: kŏn'trăkt
• (UK) IPA ^(key): /ˈkɒntrækt/, SAMPA: /"kQntr{kt/
• (US) IPA ^(key): /ˈkɑntrækt/, SAMPA: /"kAntr{kt/

• Audio (UK)

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• Audio (UK)

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• Audio (US)

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verb

• enPR: kəntrăkt, IPA ^(key): /kənˈtrækt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

Noun

Singular contract

Plural contracts

1. (countable) A contract is a legal agreement to trade goods, services and/or property. It's usually written down.
   • Synonyms: commission, promise, commitment and convention

   If you would just sign this contract, the car will be yours.

   In Japan, most worker's employment contracts last until the age of sixty.

   My father's employment contract is for forty years.

   You must look over the contract before you sign it.

Verb

Plain form contract

Third-person singular contracts

Past tense contracted

Past participle contracted

Present participle contracting

1. (intransitive) If something contracts, it gets smaller.
   • Synonyms: deflate, retract, narrow and abridge
   • Antonym: expand

   As the wood dries out, it contracts.

2. (transitive) If you contract someone to do a job, you enter into a contract with them.
   • Synonyms: commission and promise

   We've contracted a cleaning company to take care of the office.

   When there's too much work, there are a number of small firms to which we will contract it out.

3. (transitive) If you contract a disease, you become sick with it.

   It's hard to understand why people risk contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

   He contracted the flu.

Related words

• contractor
• contraction
• tract