contact

American  

[kon-takt] / ˈkɒn tækt /

noun

contacts plural

1. the act or state of touching; a touching or meeting, as of two things or people.

2. immediate proximity or association.

3. an acquaintance, colleague, or relative through whom a person can gain access to information, favors, influential people, and the like.

4. Electricity. a junction of electric conductors, usually metal, that controls current flow, often completing or interrupting a circuit.

5. Geology. the interface, generally a planar surface, between strata that differ in lithology or age.

6. Medicine/Medical. a person who has lately been exposed to an infected person.

7. Sociology. a condition in which two or more individuals or groups are placed in communication with each other.

8. contact lens.

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verb (used with object)

contacts, present (3rd person singular) contacted, past participle, past contacting present participle

1. to put or bring into contact.

2. to communicate with.

   We'll contact you by mail or telephone.

verb (used without object)

contacts, present (3rd person singular) contacted, past participle, past contacting present participle

1. to enter into or be in contact.

adjective

1. involving or produced by touching or proximity.

   contact allergy.

contact British  

/ kɒnˈtæktjʊəl /

noun

1. the act or state of touching physically

2. the state or fact of close association or communication (esp in the phrases in contact, make contact )

3. 1. a junction of two or more electrical conductors

   2. the part of the conductors that makes the junction

   3. the part of an electrical device to which such connections are made

4. an acquaintance, esp one who might be useful in business, as a means of introduction, etc

5. any person who has been exposed to a contagious disease

6. photog See contact print

7. (usually plural) an informal name for contact lens

8. (modifier) of or relating to irritation or inflammation of the skin caused by touching the causative agent

   contact dermatitis

9. (modifier) denoting an insecticide or herbicide that kills on contact, rather than after ingestion or absorption

10. (modifier) of or maintaining contact

11. (modifier) requiring or involving (physical) contact

    the contact sport of boxing

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verb

1. to put, come, or be in association, touch, or communication

interjection

1. aeronautics (formerly) a call made by the pilot to indicate that an aircraft's ignition is switched on and that the engine is ready for starting by swinging the propeller

contact Scientific  

/ kŏn′tăkt′ /

1. Electricity

   1. A connection between two conductors that allows an electric current to flow.

   2. A part or device that makes or breaks a connection in an electrical circuit.

2. Geology The place where two different types of rock, or rocks of different ages, come together.

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Usage

Many verbs in English have derived from nouns. One can head an organization or toe the mark; butter the bread or bread the cutlet. Hence, grammatically at least, there is no historical justification for the once frequently heard criticism of contact used as a verb meaning “to communicate with”: The managing editor contacted each reporter personally. Despite the earlier objections to it and probably largely because there is no other one-word verb in the language to express the same idea, this use of contact has become standard in all types of speech and writing. Contact as a noun meaning “a person through whom one can gain access to information and the like” is also standard: My contact at the embassy says that the coup has been successful.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• noncontact
  noun
• recontact
  noun
• contactual
  adjective
• uncontacted
  adjective
• contactually
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• contacts
  plural

Participles

• contacting
  present
• contacted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• contact
  simple
• contacts
  simple
• have contacted
  perfect
• has contacted
  perfect
• am contacting
  progressive
• are contacting
  progressive
• is contacting
  progressive
• have been contacting
  perfect progressive
• has been contacting
  perfect progressive

Past

• contacted
  simple
• had contacted
  perfect
• was contacting
  progressive
• were contacting
  progressive
• had been contacting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will contact
  simple
• will have contacted
  perfect
• will be contacting
  progressive
• will have been contacting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of contact

First recorded in 1620–30; from Latin contāctus “a touch,” noun use of past participle of contingere “to touch together, each other, on all sides,” from con- con- + -tingere, combining form of tangere “to touch”; cf. attain, tango

Explanation

Contact is the act of touching or communicating with someone or something else. The question increasingly isn't whether there is other life in the universe, but how on earth we will ever make contact with it. "To make contact" (the noun) means to establish some form of communication, be it physical, verbal, or some other kind. To contact (the verb) means to establish that communication. If you're looking to contact Madonna, good luck. She's got people whose only job it is to prevent folks like you from making contact with her. Batteries have two contacts, one positive and one negative. They are where the battery makes contact with the thing to which it provides power.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

contact contacts contacted contacting

Unlike flu or Covid, it is not airborne and spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

These relationships point to extensive contact and exchange among prehistoric farming and pastoral communities across a wide geographic area.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

They will contact you if they need you.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026

Bisignano still keeps in contact with many current and former leaders at JPMorgan, including Dimon.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

All parents will provide a list of rules, allergies, and emergency contact information.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

To reach that goal, researchers need to know which viral proteins interact with human proteins, where those contacts occur, and how the virus uses them to support its own replication.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

Many earlier studies depended on biochemical techniques that required scientists to break cells open before measuring protein contacts.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

But through a series of other contacts, combined with other snippets of information, she is confident that both boats did leave on 29 June, one in the morning, the other later in the day.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

The Fed’s beige book is a collection of anecdotes from the central bank’s contacts across the country and is designed to give officials a sense of conditions on the ground before they meet.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026

He dropped a plate in the sink, unlocked his phone, then went to his contacts.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

BBC Sport has contacted the Italian Football Federation for comment.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Rangel last contacted his family on May 26 as he and two other men from Puerto San Carlos set out from Guatemala, heading toward Colombia.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

Mr. Bolton contacted the Biden Administration in 2021, though he wasn’t obliged to.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

The BBC has contacted Healy and Bechtel for comment.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

In the letter, Dasch informed Burger that he had indeed arrived safely, had contacted the right individuals, and was trying hard to do the right thing.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

Topp recommends contacting the recreation department or high-school association for information and contacts regarding the certification requirements in the desired sport.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

Craig and Lindsay Foreman remain barred from contacting their children or loved ones, the family have said.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

Hopkins registered the trademark in 2018 and began contacting authors who had also used the descriptor — and the list was long, because the cocky, arrogant hero is a romance trope.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

"These images started spreading like wildfire... and then the media started contacting me for a response."

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026

Now Geyer and Cuddy began searching the records of real estate agencies and contacting the owners of rental homes, but Toronto was far larger than any other city Geyer had searched.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Related Words

• approach
• call
• connect
• phone
• reach
• talk
• telephone
• visit