Contract — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb adjective /ˈkän-ˌtrakt/ con·tract

Meaning & Definition of Contract

Contract (noun)

  1. a binding agreement between two or more persons or parties; especially, a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates in each a duty to do something and a right to performance of the other's duty or a remedy for the breach of the other's duty
  2. a business arrangement for the supply of goods or services at a fixed price
  3. the act of marriage or an agreement to marry

Contract (verb)

  1. to bring on oneself especially inadvertently, incur
  2. to become affected with
  3. to establish or undertake by contract

Contract (adjective)

  1. hired to execute a contract

Contract (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a formal agreement to fulfill an obligation

    "accused her of breaking their contract by not completing the decorating job on budget"

    similar: bond, covenant, deal, guarantee, guaranty, surety, warranty
    related: oath, pledge, troth, vow, word, accord, bargain, compact, concordat, convention, pact, treaty, assurance, insurance, seal, bail, deposit, pawn, security

  2. an arrangement about action to be taken

    "a contract outlining what needed to be done by each person"

    similar: accord, agreement, bargain, compact, convention, covenant, deal, disposition, pact, settlement, understanding
    related: charter, treaty, binder, pledge, promise, alliance, association, entente, entente cordiale, league, partnership, acceptance, approval, assent, concurrence, consent, OK

Contract (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to become affected with (a disease or disorder)

    "before vaccines were invented, people lived in fear of contracting polio"

    similar: catch, come down (with), get, go down (with) (chiefly British), sicken (with), take
    related: break out (with), die (from), succumb (to), fail, languish, sink, waste (away), weaken, wilt, wither, worsen
    near: come back, gain, heal, mend, recoup, recover, recuperate, snap back, rally, rebound, recover (from), shake (off)

  2. to become smaller in size or volume through the drawing together of particles of matter

    "metal contracts at low temperatures"

    similar: compress, condense, constrict, shrink
    related: collapse, deflate, flatten, dry up, shrivel, wilt, wither, abate, decrease, diminish, dwindle, lessen, recede, retreat, withdraw
    opposite: balloon, expand, snowball, swell
    near: accumulate, grow, increase, balloon, inflate, puff (up)

  3. to reduce in size or volume by or as if by pressing parts or members together

    "contract the calf muscles in your legs"

    similar: capsule, capsulize, collapse, compact, compress, condense, constrict, constringe, narrow (down), squeeze, telescope
    related: cram, crowd, jam, jam-pack, pack, abbreviate, abridge, curtail, shorten, boil down, downsize, shrink, concentrate, consolidate, simplify, streamline, decrease, diminish, lessen
    opposite: decompress, expand, open, outspread, outstretch
    near: dilate, disperse, dissipate, scatter, distend, inflate, swell

  4. to come to an arrangement as to a course of action

    "the farmer contracted for delivery of the hay by the first of July"

    similar: agree, bargain, covenant, come to terms, strike a bargain
    related: come around, come round, subscribe, underwrite, arrange, settle
    opposite: disagree
    near: differ, dissent, cancel, renege, revoke, argue, contest, dispute, object

Related Entry: Contract (for) (verb)

Contract (for) is a different word from Contract. The synonyms below are for contract (for), not for contract.

  1. as in order, sign up (for)

    similar: arrange (for), bespeak, book, order, reserve, sign up (for), check out, sublease, sublet, charter, engage, hire, lease, rent

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Contract

The most common words with a similar meaning to Contract:

Chiefly British: go down (with)
bond, covenant, deal, guarantee, guaranty, surety, warranty, accord, agreement, bargain, compact, convention, disposition, pact, settlement, understanding, catch, come down (with), get, sicken (with), take, compress, condense, constrict, shrink, capsule, capsulize, collapse, constringe, narrow (down), squeeze, telescope, agree, come to terms, strike a bargain

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Contract

Words with the opposite meaning of Contract:

balloon, expand, snowball, swell, decompress, open, outspread, outstretch, disagree

Related Words for Contract

oath, pledge, troth, vow, word, concordat, treaty, assurance, insurance, seal, bail, deposit, pawn, security, charter, binder, promise, alliance, association, entente, entente cordiale, league, partnership, acceptance, approval, assent, concurrence, consent, OK, break out (with)

Near Antonyms of Contract

come back, gain, heal, mend, recoup, recover, recuperate, snap back, rally, rebound, recover (from), shake (off), accumulate, grow, increase, inflate, puff (up), dilate, disperse, dissipate, scatter, distend, differ, dissent, cancel, renege, revoke, argue, contest, dispute

Word Forms of Contract

Inflections: contracted, contracting, contracts

Derived words: contractibility (noun), contractible (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Contract

Middle English contract, contraȝt, contrait, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French contract, contrait, contrat (also continental Middle French), borrowed from Latin contractus "lessening in size, undertaking of a transaction, legal or commercial agreement," from contrac-, variant stem of contrahere "to draw together, reduce in size, bring together, enter into (an agreement, formal relationship), bring about, catch (an illness)" + -tus, suffix of action nouns contract:2

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Contract

Words & Phrases Containing Contract

contract bridge, contract out, cutthroat contract, social contract, yellow-dog contract, breach of contract, by contract

Frequently Asked Questions about Contract

What does "Contract" mean?

"Contract" means a binding agreement between two or more persons or parties; especially, a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates in each a duty to do something and a right to performance of the other's duty or a remedy for the breach of the other's duty. As an a noun, a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: a binding agreement between two or more persons or parties; especially, a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates in each a duty to do something and a right to performance of the other's duty or a remedy for the breach of the other's duty. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Contract"?

Other words for "Contract" include bond, covenant, deal, guarantee, guaranty, surety, warranty and accord. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Contract" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Contract"?

There are 109 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Contract". Common alternatives include bond, covenant, deal, guarantee, guaranty, surety, warranty, accord, agreement and bargain.

What is the opposite of "Contract"?

Antonyms of "Contract" include balloon, expand, snowball, swell, decompress, open, outspread and outstretch. Near antonyms include come back, gain, heal and mend.

How do you use "Contract" in a sentence?

Examples of "Contract" in a sentence: "accused her of breaking their contract by not completing the decorating job on budget"; "a contract outlining what needed to be done by each person"; "before vaccines were invented, people lived in fear of contracting polio".

Is "Contract" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Contract" can be used as a noun, a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Contract" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Contract" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Contract"?

"Contract" is pronounced /ˈkän-ˌtrakt/ and divided into syllables as con·tract.