subcontractor

American  

[suhb-kon-trak-ter, suhb-kon-, suhb-kuhn-trak-ter] / sʌbˈkɒn træk tər, ˈsʌbˌkɒn-, ˌsʌb kənˈtræk tər /

noun

subcontractors plural

1. Law. a person who or business that contracts to provide some service or material necessary for the performance of another's contract.

2. a person or business firm contracted to do part of another's work.

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subcontractor British  

/ ˌsʌbkənˈtræktə /

noun

1. a person, company, etc, that enters into a subcontract, esp a firm that undertakes to complete part of another's contract

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• subcontractors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of subcontractor

First recorded in 1835–45; sub- + contractor

Explanation

A subcontractor is someone who agrees to perform part of a larger job. If you've been hired to renovate a house but you're not an expert plumber, you could hire a subcontractor to install new pipes. If you were building a new house, you might hire a contractor to do the job. While the contractor would be responsible for the entire project, she might pay subcontractors to do specific tasks, like digging the foundation, installing windows, or wiring the new house for electricity. You would pay the contractor for the whole project, and she would pay the subcontractors for the work they performed.

Example Sentences

Qanat Consulting Services in Andhra Pradesh, an Objectways subcontractor, supplies about a dozen larger data firms with recordings.

From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026

Bedrock was drawn to Austin because of the nearby talent from SpaceX and Tesla, and it has become a subcontractor for other startups in the town.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

A complex array of financial levers exist to help everyone involved, from lenders and investors down to the lowliest subcontractor, to minimize their exposure should things fall apart.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

It is also already a subcontractor on Space Force projects likely to get rolled up into the Golden Dome program, Canaccord Genuity analyst Austin Moeller told Barron’s.

From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026

My dad fixed me up with the electrical subcontractor on his construction project, and right away I found myself wiring hotel rooms.

From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos