What does contractor mean?
A contractor is a person or company that agrees, by formal contract, to provide specified work, materials, or services, usually for a fixed price or fee. The term arises most frequently in the building trade, where a general contractor takes overall responsibility for a project and may engage subcontractors for particular tasks such as plumbing or electrical wiring. Beyond construction, the word applies widely to businesses that supply governments or corporations — defence contractors, for instance — and to individuals working independently under contract rather than as employees. In legal contexts, the label matters: an independent contractor bears responsibility for their own taxes, insurance, and benefits, unlike a salaried worker. Derived ultimately from Latin contrahere, meaning to draw together or bring into agreement, the word captures the essence of a bargain struck between parties. Its ubiquity in modern commerce makes it one of the most practical terms in everyday professional vocabulary.
nounA person or company that undertakes to supply goods, materials, or labour and services under the terms of a contract. The word most often denotes a business that carries out building or construction work.
- A person or firm contracted to perform building or construction work.
- A person or company supplying goods or services under contract more generally, e.g. defence contractors.
- An independent contractor: a self-employed person who works for clients under contract rather than as an employee.
"The council hired a contractor to resurface the main road over the summer."
"We've hired a contractor to build the extension on the back of the house."
"As an independent contractor, she invoices each client directly rather than receiving a salary."
Regular plural; used when referring to multiple firms or individuals performing contracted work.
"Several contractors submitted bids for the new bridge project."
The word 'contractor' literally means 'one who pulls together' — from Latin contrahere — because a contract is something parties draw together between them.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of contractor
Contractor derives from the Latin verb contrahere, meaning 'to draw together' or 'to enter into an agreement', formed from com- ('together') plus trahere ('to drag or pull'). It entered English in the early modern period via Old French, alongside its root noun 'contract', which came through Anglo-Norman from Latin contractum. Cognates sharing the same Latin root include contraction, contractual, and contractile. The sense of a tradesperson undertaking building work became established as large-scale construction projects came to be awarded by formal agreement.
Related word forms
How contractor is actually used
In British English, 'contractor' strongly suggests construction work; in American English it is used more broadly, including for defence suppliers and service providers. 'Independent contractor' carries specific legal weight in employment law, denoting self-employment status rather than employee status.
Easily confused with contractor
A constrictor is an animal (such as a boa) that kills prey by squeezing, whereas a contractor is a party bound by contract to provide work or services.