Meaning & use
turnkey contracts
Last updated
Meaning
nounpluralbusinesslegal
A contract in which one company agrees to complete a whole project, including design and construction, so the client can start using it immediately.
Grammar: Usually used in the plural; the singular 'turnkey contract' refers to one such agreement.
Patterns
- sign a turnkey contract
- award a turnkey contract
- under a turnkey contract
The government signed a turnkey contract with the firm to build and equip the new hospital.
Under a turnkey contract, the contractor is responsible for everything from design to final testing.
Turnkey contracts are common in large infrastructure projects where the client wants minimal involvement.
Word forms
| singular | turnkey contract |
|---|
Common combinations
- sign a turnkey contract
- The city signed a turnkey contract for the new sports stadium.
- award a turnkey contract
- The oil company awarded a turnkey contract to a major engineering firm.
- under a turnkey contract
- Under a turnkey contract, the builder must deliver a fully operational facility.
- turnkey project
- The turnkey project was completed on time and within budget.
Synonyms and how they differ
- design-build contract
- Similar but often emphasizes the combination of design and construction, while 'turnkey' stresses that the client can start using the finished product immediately.
- EPC contract
- Stands for Engineering, Procurement, and Construction; it is a type of turnkey contract common in large industrial projects.
Word family
- turnkey adjective
- Describing a project or system that is complete and ready to use.
Commonly confused: turnkey contracts or turn-key?
turnkey contracts vs turn-key
Sometimes spelled with a hyphen, but 'turnkey' as one word is standard in business contexts.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'turnkey contracts' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Turnkey contracts' is a plural noun phrase, so it fits as the subject in option B. Option A uses the singular article 'a' with a plural noun, which is incorrect. Option C uses 'turnkey contracts' as a verb, which is wrong. Option D uses it as a verb after 'to', also incorrect.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “turnkey contracts”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.