subcontract

1 of 2

noun

sub·​con·​tract ˌsəb-ˈkän-ˌtrakt 

: a contract between a party to an original contract and a third party

especially : one to provide all or a specified part of the work or materials required in the original contract

subcontract

2 of 2

verb

sub·​con·​tract ˌsəb-ˈkän-ˌtrakt 

ˌsəb-kən-ˈtrakt

subcontracted; subcontracting; subcontracts

intransitive verb

: to let out or undertake work under a subcontract

transitive verb

1

: to engage a third party to perform under a subcontract all or part of (work included in an original contract)

—sometimes used with out

2

: to undertake (work) under a subcontract

Examples of subcontract in a Sentence

Verb

The large firm subcontracted with a smaller company.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Clients came to include Walgreens — through a subcontract with Allied Universal, one the nation’s largest providers of guards, to protect about 15 stores. —Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2024

Her remains were found on July 3 in Hendersonville by a Tennessee Department of Transportation subcontract worker. —Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 6 July 2024

Verb

In addition, in some production hubs, sometimes the contractor must use model factories to pass certain audits while subcontracting the work to non-compliant factories to meet the buyer’s price or thigh lead times. —Vicki M. Young, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019

The city council voted 9-2 on May 14 to remove a requirement that Waste Management, the company that handles trash collection for the city, subcontract 25 percent of its business to local minority- and women-owned businesses. —Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1660, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1842, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

subcontract

noun

sub·​con·​tract

ˈsəb-ˈkän-ˌtrakt,

-ˌkän-

: a contract between a party to an original contract and a third party who usually agrees to supply work or materials required in the original contract

subcontract

ˌsəb-ˈkän-ˌtrakt

ˈsəb-;

ˌsəb-kən-ˈtrakt

verb

subcontractor

ˌsəb-ˈkän-ˌtrak-tər

ˈsəb-;

ˌsəb-kən-ˈtrak-tər

noun

Legal Definition

subcontract

noun

sub·​con·​tract ˌsəb-ˈkän-ˌtrakt 

: a contract between a party to an original contract and a third party that assigns part of the performance (as building a house) of the original contract to the third party

subcontract

ˌsəb-ˈkän-ˌtrakt, -kən-ˈtrakt 

verb