noun
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a person or firm that contracts to supply materials or labour, esp for building
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something that contracts, esp a muscle
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law a person who is a party to a contract
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the declarer in bridge
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of contractor
From Late Latin, dating back to 1540–50; see origin at contract, -tor
Explanation
A contractor is someone who is hired to build something. As a contractor at a building site, it is highly recommended you keep your hard hat on at all times. When you think of contractor, you may picture construction sites; however, the word has other meanings as well. Legally, if you sign a contract to perform a specific job then you are what is known as a contractor. When there are not many full-time jobs available for workers, sometimes the only option is to become a freelance contractor, which might mean that you only work part-time or when needed.
Vocabulary lists containing contractor
The Circuit
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Structural Engineering
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -er, -or
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Berlin will instead order eight smaller ships from rival German contractor TKMS, the defence ministry said, adding it would seek approval from parliament's budget committee "as quickly as possible".
From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026
The defense contractor said Wednesday that the award is one of the first major procurement contracts executed under the Defense Department’s effort to stockpile weapons in the next few years.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 24, 2026
In 2022, an ammonia release at a warehouse in Forest Grove, Ore., required a hazmat response, and in 2020, a contractor was killed after an ammonia release inside a warehouse in Statesville, N.C., it states.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2026
Crucially, the law also extends to any US contractor that shares a lobbyist or law firm with a blacklisted entity.
From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026
In 1985, following his junior year at Woodson, Chris was hired by a local building contractor to canvass neighborhoods for sales, drumming up siding jobs and kitchen remodelings.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
