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
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.
Viridor said those breaches were caused by a third-party contractor and were very small in scale, did not pose a risk to human health, and that safeguards were now in place to prevent a recurrence.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
And it is working with defense contractor RTX on the U.S.’s Golden Dome, a space-based missile-defense shield.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
He had said, in effect: “I found this contractor myself. He worked on the pool at my golf club.”
From Slate • Jun. 4, 2026
It said it had been informed by the contractor The Hill Group that checks before demolition did not identify nesting birds within the building that would prevent works from proceeding.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
If a business or home owner — never a contractor — was out making preparations for the storm, they’d stop, introduce themselves, then offer to give them a hand … for free.
From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith
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.
