contract

Definition of contract

Etymology

From Middle English, from Latin contractum, past participle of contrahere ("to bring together, to bring about, to conclude a bargain"), from con- ("with, together") + trahere ("to draw, to pull").

Pronunciation

• Audio (UK) ^[?]

• enPR: kŏn'trăkt
• (RP) IPA: /ˈkɒntr�kt/, SAMPA: /"kQntr{kt/
• (US) IPA: /ˈkɑntr�kt/, SAMPA: /"kAntr{kt/
• Audio (US) ^[?]
• Audio (UK) ^[?]

• enPR: kəntrăkt, IPA: /kənˈtr�kt/, SAMPA: /k@n"tr{kt/
• {{https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/En-us-contract-verb2.ogg|Audio (US)}
• Audio (UK) ^[?]

Noun

contract (plural contracts)

1. An agreement between two or more parties, to perform a specific job or work order, often temporary or of fixed duration and usually governed by a written agreement.
2. (law) An agreement which the law will enforce in some way. A legally binding contract must contain at least one promise, i.e., a commitment or offer, by an offeror to and accepted by an offeree to do something in the future. A contract is thus executory rather than executed.
3. (law) A part of legal studies dealing with laws and jurisdiction related to contracts.

Hypernyms

• (agreement that is legally binding): agreement

Derived terms

• contractual
• fixed-term contract
• contract of employment

Verb

to contract (third-person singular simple present contracts, present participle contracting, simple past and past participle contracted)

1. (transitive) To enter into a contract with.
2. (transitive) To gain or acquire (an illness).
3. (intransitive) To draw together or nearer; to shorten, narrow, or lessen.
   
   The snail's body contracted into its shell.

Synonyms

• (gain or acquire (an illness)): catch, get
• (lessen): abate, decrease, lessen, reduce
• (shorten): shorten, shrink

Antonyms

• (lessen): increase
• (shorten): grow, lengthen