noun
-
a person or firm that contracts to supply materials or labour, esp for building
-
something that contracts, esp a muscle
-
law a person who is a party to a contract
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Structural Engineering
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -er, -or
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Longer term, the city has secured a contractor to carry out permanent repairs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
She said she felt pressured into agreeing to having her roof re-done and paid a total of £5,500, only for the original contractor to send his son instead, who left work in the eaves incomplete.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
It was a sobering rejection, and made me realize that finding an adviser isn’t like hiring a contractor who actively bids for your business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
The Israeli military has identified five deaths in its ranks over the same period, as well as the death of one civilian contractor.
From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026
He was twenty-four years old now and despite his accelerating mental decline was still employed by the Inter Ocean as a delivery contractor.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
The CoC board, which includes representatives of homeless services contractors, hired outside consultants to set up an emergency bidding process and score the applicants.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
The Environment Agency-led clean-up operation began in June 2025 and has seen 2,500 lorry loads of waste removed from the woods by specialist contractors to a landfill site in Essex.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
In May that year, the company laid off 150 workers and dozens of contractors and part-time workers in areas including its social media teams.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
The companies are also being asked to disclose any claim-related elements of compensation packages for employees and others, such as contractors and adjusters, involved in determining payouts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
They did not, in the first place, behave at all like contractors.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
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.
