contractive

[kuhn-trak-tiv]

adjective

1. serving or tending to contract.

2. capable of contracting.

Other Word Forms

• contractively adverb
• contractiveness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of contractive¹

First recorded in 1615–25; contract + -ive

Example Sentences

The current economic context suggests the board should maintain a contractive stance on monetary policy to bring inflation towards the target, the report added.

From Reuters

Some profile photos showed love seekers appearing open and welcoming, and others showed them "contractive," or seeming closed.

From US News

In the other profile, they adopted “contractive” poses, for example, by hunching up, or folding their arms and crossing their legs.

From The Guardian

A federal appeals court ruling on Friday increased the chances that the Supreme Court in its coming term will need to settle whether secular, for-profit corporations must provide contractive coverage to employees despite the owners’ religious objections.

From Washington Post

Contractive body postures such as folded arms have shown the opposite effect, decreasing testosterone and increasing cortisol.

From Forbes