contract
2 ENTRIES FOUND:
plural
contracts
plural
contracts
Britannica Dictionary definition of CONTRACT
[count]
1
a
:
a legal agreement between people, companies, etc.
— often used before another noun
-
The contract requires him to finish work by the end of the year.
-
If he breaks the contract [=if he does not abide by the agreement], he will get sued.
-
The company won a multi-million-dollar contract to build a new courthouse. = The company was awarded a multi-million-dollar contract to build a new courthouse.
-
a marriage contract [=an agreement to marry someone]
-
contract negotiations
-
contract law
b
:
a document on which the words of a contract are written
-
I tore up the contract.
-
Have you signed the contract yet?
2
informal
:
an agreement to kill a person for money
-
His enemies put/took out a contract on him. [=paid someone to kill him]
by contract
:
according to the terms stated in a contract
:
by a legal agreement
-
We are bound by contract to pay the full price.
under contract
:
required to provide something (such as work or a service) according to the terms stated in a contract
-
She is under contract with the TV station for three more years.
contracts;
contracted;
contracting
contracts;
contracted;
contracting
Britannica Dictionary definition of CONTRACT
1
a
[+ object]
:
to make (something) smaller or shorter
-
She contracted her lips into a frown.
-
contract a muscle
b
[no object]
:
to become smaller
-
The muscle expands and then contracts.
-
The hot metal contracted as it cooled.
2
[+ object]
somewhat formal
:
to become ill with (a disease)
-
He contracted [=(more commonly) caught] a cold.
-
She contracted chicken pox.
-
They contracted malaria.
3
:
to make an agreement by contract to work or to pay someone to work
[no object]
-
The carpenter contracted (with them) to do the work on their house.
[+ object]
-
We contracted [=hired] a lawyer.
4
/ˈkɑːnˌtrækt/
[+ object]
formal
:
to agree to (a marriage, an alliance, etc.) formally
-
a legally contracted marriage
-
The company contracted an alliance with a former competitor.
contract out
[phrasal verb] /ˈkɑːnˌtrækt/
contract (something) out
or
contract out (something)
:
to agree by contract to pay someone to perform (a job)
-
The company contracted out its manufacturing jobs. [=the company paid another company to do its manufacturing jobs instead of doing them itself]
