subcontract
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
-
subcontracts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
subcontracted,
past participle, past
-
subcontracting
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
subcontracts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
subcontracted,
past participle, past
-
subcontracting
present participle
noun
verb
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to enter into or make a subcontract
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(tr) to let out (work) on a subcontract
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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subcontractsimple
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subcontractssimple
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have subcontractedperfect
-
has subcontractedperfect
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am subcontractingprogressive
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are subcontractingprogressive
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is subcontractingprogressive
-
have been subcontractingperfect progressive
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has been subcontractingperfect progressive
Past
-
subcontractedsimple
-
had subcontractedperfect
-
was subcontractingprogressive
-
were subcontractingprogressive
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had been subcontractingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of subcontract
Explanation
A subcontract is a legal agreement to do part of a larger job. A worker or small company usually signs a subcontract with a larger company. As a verb, subcontract means to hire a person or company to complete part of a job. An example might be a construction company that's been employed to build a house deciding to subcontract all the plumbing and electrical work out. In other words, they are paid for the entire job, and then they pay a plumber and an electrician to do specific parts of the job.
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:
The RSF scored an important victory against the Darfur rebels, did less well in fighting an insurgency in the Nuba Mountains adjacent to South Sudan, and took a subcontract to police the border with Libya.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2025
In Kousisis, the allegation is that a contractor who partnered with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation engaged in fraud by misrepresenting that the contractor would subcontract with minority-owned businesses.
From Slate ● Mar. 13, 2025
Another reason for calm in Wall Street is that its traders subcontract the job of risk assessment to the oil market.
From New York Times ● Jan. 30, 2024
If all requests are paid, Liberty says its $31.25 million subcontract would reach $44.75 million for materials, labor and especially time.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 22, 2023
Instead of that clause in the subcontract being evidence that Mr. Dorsey was endeavoring to swindle the Government, the evidence is exactly the other way.
From The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 10 (of 12) Dresden Edition?Legal by Robert Green Ingersoll
Adikalie mainly subcontracts to young people across Southwark, helping them to gain work experience, and while he hopes to keep offering these opportunities, he worries poor mobile service could hold the company back.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
While Shein has no customers in China, it subcontracts thousands of factories in the country to produce its enormous selection of low-price merchandise and adapt to rapidly changing consumer tastes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
"If we look at large companies, their accident rate is close to zero, but in the chain of contracts and subcontracts, especially among small and medium-sized firms, that's where accidents happen," he told AFP.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2025
CalOptima, which runs Medi-Cal for Orange County’s 860,000 beneficiaries, subcontracts with Kaiser Permanente and 11 physician associations, said its chief operating officer, Yunkyung Kim.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 21, 2021
“Yes, well, Apollo is too busy to see to them,” Geryon explained, “so he subcontracts to us. We breed them vigorously because there’s such a demand.”
From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan
Send Contractor B a letter explaining that you selected him based on his reputation for workmanship and his promised timeline, only to discover that he subcontracted the project to Contractor A without your consent.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
A Ministry of Defence contract to provide 24 Royal Navy support vessels such as tugs was subcontracted to Serco which then gave the shipbuilding order to Dutch firm Damen.
From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2026
Gucci had the capability to manufacture shoes for Brioni, yet Brioni subcontracted production to outside workshops.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
The company had argued that unlike its staff, subcontracted workers like the accused were not allowed to open the refrigerator without permission.
From Barron's ● Nov. 28, 2025
That John R. Miner then found that service in eastern Oregon was not in operation, although it had been subcontracted; but he then applied to Thomas J. Brady for an extension of time.
From The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 10 (of 12) Dresden Edition?Legal by Robert Green Ingersoll
He won the bid on the basis of completing the project in three days but then spent three months finessing the terms of the contract before subcontracting the job.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
Other provisions of the agreement include a “significant ongoing contribution” to build housing for hospitality workers, protections against automation and subcontracting, and premium pay for the World Cup and 2027 Super Bowl, Petersen said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
Workers were demanding salary increases, protection against subcontracting and job loss through automation, and were refusing to comply with FIFA’s request to collect sensitive private information such as nationality and home addresses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
The UIL union has also pointed to continued issues in subcontracting, and this week said more could be done on improving the quality of training and tackling undeclared work.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2025
From the first house the workers went out because of the subcontracting system, and from the second practically on account of lockout.
From Making Both Ends Meet The income and outlay of New York working girls by Sue Ainslie Clark
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.
