Contract, n.
Etymology: [L. contractus, fr. contrahere: cf. F. contrat, formerly also contract.]
1. (Law)
The agreement of two or more persons, upon a sufficient consideration or cause, to do, or to abstain from doing, some act; an agreement in which a party undertakes to do, or not to do, a particular thing; a formal bargain; a compact; an interchange of legal rights. Wharton.
2. A formal writing which contains the agreement of parties, with the terms and conditions, and which serves as a proof of the obligation.
3. The act of formally betrothing a man and woman. This is the the night of the contract. Longwellow.
1 more senses
Syn. -- Covenant; agreement; compact; stipulation; bargain; arrangement; obligation. See Covenant.
4 other Webster entries under this spelling
Contract, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Contracted; p.pr. & vb.n. Contracting.]
1. To draw together or nearer; to reduce to a less compass; to shorten, narrow, or lesen; as, to contract one's shpere of action. In all things desuetude doth contract and narrow our faculties. Dr. H. More.
2. To draw together so as to wrinkle; to knit. Thou didst contract and purse thy brow. Shak.
3. To bring on; to incur; to acquire; as, to contract a habit; to contract a debt; to contract a disease. Each from each contract new strength and light. Pope. Such behavior we contract by having much conversed with persons of high statiSwift.
4. To enter into, with mutual obligations; to make a bargain or covenant for. We have contracted an inviolable amity, peace, and lague with the aforesaid queen. Hakluyt. Many persons . . . had contracted marriage within the degrees of consanguinity . . . prohibited by law. Strype.
5. To betroth; to affiance. The truth is, she and I, long since contracted, Are now so sure, that nothing can dissolve us. Shak.
6. (Gram.)
To shorten by omitting a letter or letters or by reducing two or more vowels or syllables to one.
Syn. -- To shorten; abridge; epitomize; narrow; lessen; condense; reduce; confine; incur; assume.
Contract, v. i.
1. To be drawn together so as to be diminished in size or extent; to shrink; to be reduced in compass or in duration; as, iron contracts in cooling; a rope contracts when wet. Years contracting to a moment. Wordsworth.
2. To make an agreement; to covenant; to agree; to bargain; as, to contract for carrying the mail.
Contract, a.
Contracted: as, a contract verb. Goodwin.
Contract, a.
Contracted; affianced; betrothed. [Obs.] Shak.
Shades of meaning
All these words involve at least two parties, tho an engagement or promise may be the act of but one. A contract is a formal agreement between two or more parties for the doing or leaving undone some specified act or acts, and is ordinarily in writing. Mutual promises may have the force of a contract. A consideration, or compensation, is essential to convert an agreement into a contract. A contract may be oral or written. A covenant in law is a written contract under seal. Covenant is frequent in religious usage, as contract is in law and business. Compact is essentially the same as contract, but is applied to international agreements, treaties, etc. A bargain is a mutual agreement for an exchange of values, without the formality of a contract. A stipulation is a single item in an agreement or contract. A cartel is a military agreement for the exchange of prisoners or the like.