contractor

American  

[kon-trak-ter, kuhn-trak-ter] / ˈkɒn træk tər, kənˈtræk tər /

noun

1. a person who contracts to furnish supplies or perform work at a certain price or rate.

2. something that contracts, especially a muscle.

3. Bridge. the player or team who makes the final bid.

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contractor British  

/ kənˈtræk-, ˈkɒntræktə /

noun

1. a person or firm that contracts to supply materials or labour, esp for building

2. something that contracts, esp a muscle

3. law a person who is a party to a contract

4. the declarer in bridge

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Etymology

Origin of contractor

From Late Latin, dating back to 1540–50; contract, -tor

Example Sentences

A solicitation to contractors posted by the agency after the court hearing described a project of modular units of 120 to 390 square feet with bathrooms and kitchenettes.

From Los Angeles Times

Citing the company’s 70% increase in fourth-quarter revenue and its adjusted operating margin of 57%, he concluded: “There is no public software company or defense contractor even remotely in that vicinity.”

From MarketWatch

The Pentagon has warned defense contractors to brace for sweeping performance reviews that will identify companies it says aren’t fulfilling their contracts, according to a message sent to the industry late last week.

From The Wall Street Journal

He enjoyed building and fixing things, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to become a contractor or a builder.

From Literature

NovaGold in the last quarter of 2025 called for proposals from specialist contractors to work on power, oxygen plants and other infrastructure for a mine.

From The Wall Street Journal