Meanings
contractor1
nouncontractor (plural contractors)
plural contractors
- A person or company that builds or improves buildings or structures.
Two days later, walking beyond the usual limit of the conventional promenade, Carrados reached a rough wooden hut such as contractors erect during the progress of their work.
1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC - A person or company that performs specific tasks like electrical or plumbing work in construction projects.
- A person or company hired to maintain existing facilities like air conditioning systems, groundskeeping, etc.
- A person hired to do a job on a business contract, as opposed to a permanent employee.
It looks like you're off to a three-hour staff meeting that doesn't apply to me. I'm glad I'm a highly-paid contractor. I'll be increasing my skills while you fight to get oxygen to your brains.
1994, Scott Adams, Dilbert
Contractor2
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe bridge player in contract bridge who wins the bidding and can declare which suit is to be trumps
Similar
Broader
bridge playerhand
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
contractor · noun
- Latincontract-
- Late Latincontractor
- Englishcontractor
Borrowed from Late Latin contractor, from Latin contract-, stem of contractus + -tor. First attested in the 16th century.
More words from Late Latin, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Contractor · proper noun
From contractor, an occupational surname for a supplier of goods or services; this surname originated in India, but derives from the English word.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic مُقَاوِل
- مُقَاوِل (muqāwil)A person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
Bulgarian предприемач, подизпълнител
- предприемач (predpriemač)A person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
- подизпълнител (podizpălnitel)A person or company that performs specific tasks like electrical or plumbing work in construction projects
Catalan constructor
- constructorA person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
Czech subdodavatel
- subdodavatelA person or company that performs specific tasks like electrical or plumbing work in construction projects
Dutch aannemer, uitvoerder
- aannemerA person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
- uitvoerderA person or company that performs specific tasks like electrical or plumbing work in construction projects
Finnish rakennusurakoitsija, urakoitsija
- rakennusurakoitsijaA person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
- urakoitsijaA person or company that performs specific tasks like electrical or plumbing work in construction projects
- huoltofirmaA person or company hired to maintain existing facilities
French entrepreneur, sous-traitant
- entrepreneurA person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
- sous-traitantA person or company that performs specific tasks like electrical or plumbing work in construction projects
- contractantA person on a business contract, as opposed to a permanent employee
German Bauunternehmer, Bauausführer
- BauunternehmerA person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
- BauausführerA person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
- AuftragnehmerA person or company that performs specific tasks like electrical or plumbing work in construction projects
- FirmaA person or company that performs specific tasks like electrical or plumbing work in construction projects
- WartungsfirmaA person or company hired to maintain existing facilities
Greek εργολάβος
- εργολάβος (ergolávos)A person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
Hebrew קבלן בניין \ קַבְּלַן בִּנְיָן, קַבְּלָן
- קבלן בניין \ קַבְּלַן בִּנְיָן (kab'lán binyán)A person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
- קַבְּלָן (kab'lán)A person or company that performs specific tasks like electrical or plumbing work in construction projects
- קַבְּלָנִית (kab'lanít)A person or company that performs specific tasks like electrical or plumbing work in construction projects
Hindi ठेकेदार
- ठेकेदार (ṭhekedār)A person on a business contract, as opposed to a permanent employee
Hungarian építési vállalkozó, generálkivitelező
- építési vállalkozóA person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
- generálkivitelezőA person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
- alvállalkozóA person or company that performs specific tasks like electrical or plumbing work in construction projects
- szállítóA person or company that performs specific tasks like electrical or plumbing work in construction projects
- karbantartó cégA person or company hired to maintain existing facilities
- szerződő félA person on a business contract, as opposed to a permanent employee
- megbízottA person on a business contract, as opposed to a permanent employee
- vállalkozóA person on a business contract, as opposed to a permanent employee
Indonesian anemer, pemborong
- anemerA person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
- pemborongA person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
Italian appaltatore, appaltatore
- appaltatoreA person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
- appaltatoreA person on a business contract, as opposed to a permanent employee
- committenteA person on a business contract, as opposed to a permanent employee
Latin redemptor, redemptor
- redemptorA person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
- redemptorA person on a business contract, as opposed to a permanent employee
Portuguese pedreiro, autônomo
- pedreiroA person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
- autônomoA person on a business contract, as opposed to a permanent employee
- terceirizadoA person on a business contract, as opposed to a permanent employee
Romanian antreprenor, constructor
- antreprenorA person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
- constructorA person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
- contractantA person on a business contract, as opposed to a permanent employee
- contractantăA person on a business contract, as opposed to a permanent employee
Russian подря́дчик, подря́дчица
- подря́дчик (podrjádčik)A person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
- подря́дчица (podrjádčica)A person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
- контра́ктор (kontráktor)A person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
- подря́дчик (podrjádčik)A person or company hired to maintain existing facilities
- подря́дчица (podrjádčica)A person or company hired to maintain existing facilities
- подря́дчик (podrjádčik)A person on a business contract, as opposed to a permanent employee
Spanish constructor, contratista
- constructorA person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
- contratistaA person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
Tagalog kontratista
- kontratistaA person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
Thai ผู้รับเหมา, ผู้รับเหมาก่อสร้าง
- ผู้รับเหมาA person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
- ผู้รับเหมาก่อสร้างA person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
Turkish müteahhit, müteahhit
- müteahhitA person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
- müteahhitA person or company that performs specific tasks like electrical or plumbing work in construction projects
- üstleniciA person or company that performs specific tasks like electrical or plumbing work in construction projects
Ukrainian підрядник
- підрядник (pidrjadnyk)A person or company that constructs or improves buildings or structures
Cite this entry
APA
contractor. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contractor
MLA
“contractor.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contractor. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “contractor,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contractor.
Source: contractor on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.