contracts
English Meaning & Definitions
Written or spoken agreements, especially ones concerning employment, sales, or tenancy, that are intended to be enforceable by law.
- “The company signed several new contracts to expand its operations overseas.”
- “Before you start the job, you must read and sign the employment contracts.”
To decrease in size, number, or range; to become smaller or tighter.
- “Metal typically contracts when it is cooled.”
- “The pupil of the eye contracts in response to bright light.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “contracts”.
Derived from the Latin 'contractus', the past participle of 'contrahere', meaning 'to draw together' or 'to bring about'. It combines 'con-' (together) and 'trahere' (to draw/pull). Historically, it evolved from the idea of parties 'drawing together' to reach an agreement or the physical act of drawing something inward.
Think of a 'con' (together) 'tract' (pulling) - when you sign a contract, you are pulling two parties together into one agreement.
Frequently Asked Questions About “contracts”
1. What is the meaning of “contracts” in English?
In English, contracts (noun) is defined as: “Written or spoken agreements, especially ones concerning employment, sales, or tenancy, that are intended to be enforceable by law.”.
2. How do you use “contracts” in a sentence?
“The company signed several new contracts to expand its operations overseas.”
3. What are English synonyms of “contracts”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “contracts”?
Derived from the Latin 'contractus', the past participle of 'contrahere', meaning 'to draw together' or 'to bring about'. It combines 'con-' (together) and 'trahere' (to draw/pull). Historically, it evolved from the idea of parties 'drawing together' to reach an agreement or the physical act of drawing something inward.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.