Added 2 October 2026

contract

/ˈkɒntɹækt/ noun

In Latin: foedus, contractus, sponsus Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about contract at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

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.
sign a contract
A period of work agreed to under a temporary contract.
He worked a six-month contract on an oil rig.
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.

To draw together or nearer; to shorten, narrow, or lessen.
The snail’s body contracted into its shell.
To shorten by omitting a letter or letters or by reducing two or more vowels or syllables to one.
The word “cannot” is often contracted into “can’t”.
To make an agreement or contract; to covenant.
The company contracted with the council to build 200 new houses.

From Middle English, from Old French contract, from Latin contractus (noun), from contrahere (“to bring together, to bring about, to conclude a bargain”) [from con- (“with, together”) + trahere (“to draw, to pull”)] + -tus (suffix forming nouns from verbs).