Definitions for contract
n., adj., and usu. for v. 16–18, 22, 23 ˈkɒn trækt; otherwise v. kənˈtræktcon·tract

Princeton's WordNet(2.64 / 11 votes)Rate this definition:

1. contractnoun

   a binding agreement between two or more persons that is enforceable by law

2. contract, declarationnoun

   (contract bridge) the highest bid becomes the contract setting the number of tricks that the bidder must make

3. contract, contract bridgeverb

   a variety of bridge in which the bidder receives points toward game only for the number of tricks he bid

4. contract, undertakeverb

   enter into a contractual arrangement

5. sign, contract, sign on, sign upverb

   engage by written agreement

   "They signed two new pitchers for the next season"

6. compress, constrict, squeeze, compact, contract, pressverb

   squeeze or press together

   "she compressed her lips"; "the spasm contracted the muscle"

7. contract, take, getverb

   be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness

   "He got AIDS"; "She came down with pneumonia"; "She took a chill"

8. shrink, contractverb

   become smaller or draw together

   "The fabric shrank"; "The balloon shrank"

9. contractverb

   make smaller

   "The heat contracted the woollen garment"

10. condense, concentrate, contractverb

    compress or concentrate

    "Congress condensed the three-year plan into a six-month plan"

11. narrow, contractverb

    make or become more narrow or restricted

    "The selection was narrowed"; "The road narrowed"

12. abridge, foreshorten, abbreviate, shorten, cut, contract, reduceverb

    reduce in scope while retaining essential elements

    "The manuscript must be shortened"

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Contractnoun

   Etymology: from the verb.

   1. An act whereby two parties are brought together; a bargain; a compact.

   The agreement upon orders, by mutual contract, with the consent to execute them by common strength, they make the rise of all civil governments. William Temple.

   Shall Ward draw contracts with a statesman’s skill?
   Or Japhet pocket, like his grace, a will? Alexander Pope.

   2. An act whereby a man and woman are betrothed to one another.

   Touch’d you the bastardy of Edward’s children? ——
   —— I did, with his contract with lady Lucy,
   And his contract by deputy in France. William Shakespeare, Richard III.

   3. A writing in which the terms of a bargain are included.

2. Contractpart. adj.

   Affianced; contracted.

   Etymology: from the verb.

   First was he contract to lady Lucy;
   Your mother lives a witness to that vow. William Shakespeare, Rich. III.

3. To CONTRACTverb

   Etymology: contractus, Latin.

   1. To draw together; to shorten.

   Why love among the virtues is not known,
   Is, that love contracts them all in one. John Donne.

   2. To bring two parties together; to make a bargain.

   On him thy grace did liberty bestow;
   But first contracted, that, if ever found,
   His head should pay the forfeit. John Dryden, Fables.

   3. To betroth; to affiance.

   The truth is, she and I, long since contracted,
   Are now so sure that nothing can dissolve us. William Shakespeare.

   She was a lady of the highest condition in that country, and contracted to a man of merit and quality. Tatler, №. 58.

   4. To procure; to bring; to incur; to draw; to get.

   Of enemies he could not but contract good store, while moving in so high a sphere. Charles I .

   He that but conceives a crime in thought,
   Contracts the danger of an actual fault. John Dryden, Juv.

   Like friendly colours, found them both unite,
   And each from each contract new strength and light. Alexander Pope.

   Such behaviour we contract by having much conversed with persons of high stations. Jonathan Swift.

   5. To shorten; to abridge; to epitomise.

4. To Contractverb

   1. To shrink up; to grow short.

   Whatever empties the vessels, gives room to the fibres to contract. John Arbuthnot, on Aliments.

   2. To bargain; as, to contract for a quantity of provisions.

Wikipedia(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Contract

   A contract is an agreement that specifies certain legally enforceable rights and obligations pertaining to two or more mutually agreeing parties. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to transfer any of those at a future date. In the event of a breach of contract, the injured party may seek judicial remedies such as damages or rescission. A binding agreement between actors in international law is known as a treaty. Contract law, the field of the law of obligations concerned with contracts, is based on the principle that agreements must be honoured. Like other areas of private law, contract law varies between jurisdictions. In general, contract law is exercised and governed either under common law jurisdictions, civil law jurisdictions, or mixed-law jurisdictions that combine elements of both common and civil law. Common law jurisdictions typically require contracts to include consideration in order to be valid, whereas civil and most mixed-law jurisdictions solely require a meeting of the minds between the parties. Within the overarching category of civil law jurisdictions, there are several distinct varieties of contract law with their own distinct criteria: the German tradition is characterised by the unique doctrine of abstraction, systems based on the Napoleonic Code are characterised by their systematic distinction between different types of contracts, and Roman-Dutch law is largely based on the writings of renaissance-era Dutch jurists and case law applying general principles of Roman law prior to the Netherlands' adoption of the Napoleonic Code. The UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts, published in 2016, aim to provide a general harmonised framework for international contracts, independent of the divergences between national laws, as well as a statement of common contractual principles for arbitrators and judges to apply where national laws are lacking. Notably, the Principles reject the doctrine of consideration, arguing that elimination of the doctrine "bring[s] about greater certainty and reduce litigation" in international trade. The Principles also rejected the abstraction principle on the grounds that it and similar doctrines are "not easily compatible with modern business perceptions and practice".Contract law can be contrasted with tort law (also referred to in some jurisdictions as the law of delicts), the other major area of the law of obligations. While tort law generally deals with private duties and obligations that exist by operation of law, and provide remedies for civil wrongs committed between individuals not in a pre-existing legal relationship, contract law provides for the creation and enforcement of duties and obligations through a prior agreement between parties. The emergence of quasi-contracts, quasi-torts, and quasi-delicts renders the boundary between tort and contract law somewhat uncertain.

Webster Dictionary(5.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Contractnoun

   to draw together or nearer; to reduce to a less compass; to shorten, narrow, or lessen; as, to contract one's sphere of action

2. Contractnoun

   to draw together so as to wrinkle; to knit

3. Contractnoun

   to bring on; to incur; to acquire; as, to contract a habit; to contract a debt; to contract a disease

4. Contractnoun

   to enter into, with mutual obligations; to make a bargain or covenant for

5. Contractnoun

   to betroth; to affiance

6. Contractnoun

   to shorten by omitting a letter or letters or by reducing two or more vowels or syllables to one

7. Contractverb

   to be drawn together so as to be diminished in size or extent; to shrink; to be reduced in compass or in duration; as, iron contracts in cooling; a rope contracts when wet

8. Contractverb

   to make an agreement; to covenant; to agree; to bargain; as, to contract for carrying the mail

9. Contractadjective

   contracted; as, a contract verb

10. Contractadjective

    contracted; affianced; betrothed

11. Contractnoun

    the agreement of two or more persons, upon a sufficient consideration or cause, to do, or to abstain from doing, some act; an agreement in which a party undertakes to do, or not to do, a particular thing; a formal bargain; a compact; an interchange of legal rights

12. Contractnoun

    a formal writing which contains the agreement of parties, with the terms and conditions, and which serves as a proof of the obligation

13. Contractnoun

    the act of formally betrothing a man and woman

14. Etymology: [L. contractus, p. p.]

Freebase(4.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Contract

   A contract is an agreement having a lawful object entered into voluntarily by two or more parties, each of whom intends to create one or more legal obligations between them. The elements of a contract are "offer" and "acceptance" by "competent persons" having legal capacity who exchange "consideration" to create "mutuality of obligation." Proof of some or all of these elements may be done in writing, though contracts may be made entirely orally or by conduct. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" in the form of compensation of money or specific performance enforced through an injunction. Both of these remedies award the party at loss the "benefit of the bargain" or expectation damages, which are greater than mere reliance damages, as in promissory estoppel. The parties may be natural persons or juristic persons. A contract is a legally enforceable promise or undertaking that something will or will not occur. The word promise can be used as a legal synonym for contract, although care is required as a promise may not have the full standing of a contract, as when it is an agreement without consideration. Contract law varies greatly from one jurisdiction to another, including differences in common law compared to civil law, the impact of received law, particularly from England in common law countries, and of law codified in regional legislation. Regarding Australian Contract Law for example, there are 40 relevant acts which impact on the interpretation of contract at the Commonwealth level, and an additional 26 acts at the level of the state of NSW. In addition there are 6 international instruments or conventions which are applicable for international dealings, such as the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(3.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Contract

   kon-trakt′, v.t. to draw together: to lessen: to shorten: to acquire: to incur: to bargain for: to betroth.—v.i. to shrink: to become less.—n. Con′tract, an agreement on fixed terms: a bond: a betrothment: the writing containing an agreement.—adj. Contract′ed, drawn together: narrow: mean.—adv. Contract′edly.—ns. Contract′edness; Contractibil′ity, Contract′ibleness.—adjs. Contract′ible, capable of being contracted; Contract′ile, tending or having power to contract.—ns. Contractil′ity; Contrac′tion, act of contracting: a word shortened by rejecting a part of it: a symbol for shortening in palæography, &c.—adj. Contract′ive, tending to contract.—n. Contract′or, one of the parties to a bargain or agreement: one who engages to execute work or furnish supplies at a fixed rate.—adj. Contract′ual.—Contract one's self out of, to get rid of some general obligation by making a special contract; Contract work, work done for a fixed sum estimated beforehand and paid down for the whole job. [L. contractus—con, together, trahĕre, to draw.]

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. contract

   To agree and create a fair, just, concise and transparent commitment.

   The procurement contracts are simple, concise and transparent.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on October 21, 2020  

2. ---

   contract

   To create a fair, just, concise and transparent agreement.

   They created a contract for their services to another company based on trust, understanding and agreement.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on February 16, 2020  

Matched Categories

1. • Bid
   • Change
   • Contract
   • Decrease
   • Shrink
   • Written Agreement

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'contract' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #867

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'contract' in Written Corpus Frequency: #1156

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'contract' in Nouns Frequency: #249

4. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'contract' in Verbs Frequency: #822

Anagrams for contract »

1. troncact

How to pronounce contract?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say contract in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of contract in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of contract in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of contract in a Sentence

1. Somchai Sawangkarn:

   This NCPO order is beneficial for Thai people across the country because it prevents a monopolistic contract.

2. Chief Executive Vitaly Savelyev:

   In today's falling market we have well-founded reasons to cancel the contract, we don't see a market where it is possible to use this aircraft. We haven't yet seen the worst of this crisis.

3. Danny Cullenward:

   This isn’t some business venture that’s kind of risky and needs a little boost to stay afloat, it’s an infrastructure project with commercial mature technology that had a fixed price contract with the Mexican government.

4. Diego Benavides:

   We extended the social contract that we have with the community until 2018, fortunately, the stoppage did not impact our output and there was no damage to the mine.

5. Larisa Shambaugh:

   We deeply value the work of our staff who are represented by 32BJ SEIU District 1201, we continue to actively participate in conversations and negotiations to secure a new contract as soon as possible, without disruption to in-person learning to begin the 2022-2023 school year.

Popularity rank by frequency of use