contract, shrink, condense, compress, constrict, deflate mean to decrease in bulk or volume. contract applies to a drawing together of surfaces or particles or a reduction of area or length. …

A recession is a period when the economy is contracting. Agricultural output has contracted by 2.3 percent.

Contracted definition: drawn together; reduced in compass or size; made smaller; shrunken.. See examples of CONTRACTED used in a sentence.

1. To enter into or make an agreement: contract for garbage collection. 2. To become reduced in size by or as if by being drawn together: The pupils of the patient's eyes contracted.

Nov 15, 2025 · contracted (comparative more contracted, superlative most contracted) (not comparable) Arranged by contract; established by agreement. Made smaller by contraction. …

Something contracted has shrunk or become smaller. Your pupils tend to be contracted in bright sunlight.

contracted definition: arranged by a formal agreement. Check meanings, examples, usage tips, pronunciation, domains, and related words. Discover expressions like "contracted muscles", …

to assign (a job, work, project, etc.) by contract: The publisher contracted the artwork. to enter into an agreement with: to contract a free-lancer to do the work.

The word 'contracted' originated from the Latin word 'contractus', which means 'drawn together', from the verb 'contrahere'. In English, the word has evolved to have multiple meanings, …

There are nine meanings listed in OED's entry for the adjective contracted, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.