Meaning & use
contracting
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Becoming smaller, shorter or tighter.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a contracting muscle, a contracting economy.
Patterns
- a contracting market
- contracting muscles
A contracting economy often means fewer jobs.
The contracting muscle tightens the arm.
The contracting metal made the fit tighter in the cold.
noununcountablebusiness
The business of doing building or other work for a client under a formal agreement.
Grammar: Uncountable and usually found in industry names: the contracting business.
Patterns
- in contracting
- a contracting firm
He works in contracting and builds house extensions.
The contracting industry has been busy this year.
Her family runs a contracting firm that paves roads.
verbtransitive or intransitive
Becoming smaller, or making a formal agreement; the -ing form of contract.
Grammar: As the -ing form: the metal is contracting; they are contracting a firm.
Patterns
- be contracting a disease
- be contracting with someone
The metal was contracting as it cooled.
The city is contracting with a local firm to repair the road.
He is contracting a nasty cold, I think.
Word forms
| base form | contract |
|---|---|
| third person singular | contracts |
| past tense | contracted |
Common combinations
- contracting economy
- A contracting economy can raise unemployment.
- contracting muscle
- A contracting muscle shortens and thickens.
- contracting business
- He started a contracting business.
- contracting party
- Each contracting party signed the agreement.
- government contracting
- She works in government contracting.
- contracting market
- Sales fell in a contracting market.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shrinking
- Shrinking describes getting smaller in general, whereas contracting often suggests pulling inward or tightening, such as a muscle.
- narrowing
- Narrowing refers to width specifically, while contracting can describe total size.
- declining
- Declining means becoming less in quality or amount over time, and is more common for economies.
- subcontracting
- Subcontracting means hiring another firm to do part of the work, which is narrower than contracting.
Opposites
Word family
- contract verb
- to become smaller or to agree formally
- contraction noun
- the act of becoming smaller, or a shortened word form like don't
- contractor noun
- a person or firm hired to do work
- contractual adjective
- relating to a contract
Commonly confused: contracting or contracting vs contacting?
contracting vs contracting vs contacting
Contacting means getting in touch with someone; contracting means shrinking or making a formal agreement.
Practice
The factory laid off workers because the market for its products was ______.
Choose one answer.
A contracting market is getting smaller, which explains layoffs. Expanding, booming and thriving all describe growth.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “contracting”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.