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
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
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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.
See Examples For:
Last month, Dawn Buckingham, who leads the General Land Office, sent a cease and desist letter to CBP and a federal contractor she said had illegally cleared GLO-owned land in Presidio County.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026
In a statement to the Tribune, she said her agency was working with a contractor to “remediate” the land.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026
Omnicom transferred hundreds of the staffers who built its AI platform to a third-party contractor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
She said her father hid the coins while working as an electrical contractor in properties around the town, although Mead's home was one he actually lived in.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Their father is a building contractor and a major in the Army National Guard.
From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor
This year SpaceX has secured billions of dollars’ worth of government business to build and launch military satellites, even after lawmakers made an extra push to give other contractors a shot.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
And also settling a very childish dispute between the airport and the contractors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
There are few lasting consequences for contractors who fail to deliver, the experts said.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
By contrast, logistics is pretty mundane; the big contractors don’t pine for contracts to build oiler ships, cranes, or commissaries.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
Unless it’s a life-or-death emergency, the Coast Guard refers disabled-boat calls to private contractors like Tropical Rescue, which charge big bucks.
From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen
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.
