Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of contracted
Explanation
Something contracted has shrunk or become smaller. Your pupils tend to be contracted in bright sunlight. Contracted is an adjective that usually describes physical things. If your eyebrows look contracted, they are probably furrowed and scrunched up. If your tummy is contracted, it is probably drawn in and flat. Economies and budgets can also be contracted, if they have undergone the painful process of shrinking. If your belly is contracted, buy a bikini. If your budget is contracted, you are better off not buying anything.
Vocabulary lists containing contracted
"Watership Down" by Richard Adams, Chapter 43-Epilogue
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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.
About 75% of Micron’s fiscal 2027 memory-chip output is already contracted, and new long-term deals are being negotiated at higher prices, according to Mizuho analyst Brett Linzey.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
Without an Ebola test being taken at any point during his travels, it is hard to say exactly when he contracted the virus.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
When a cruise ship passenger contracted the rare hantavirus in May, accounts also immediately touted ivermectin as a "cure" even while there is no known treatment.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Public-health leaders expect measles to keep spreading until they reach herd immunity, meaning some 95% of people have either contracted the virus or been vaccinated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
“You saved her life, okay? And if she contracted B. cepacia, we’ll deal with it.”
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
