Contractors

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals or businesses that enter into agreements to provide construction services or specialized tasks for clients
2. Professionals or companies contracted to carry out construction projects or other defined services for clients
3. People or organizations legally engaged to complete specific jobs or projects, often in building or repairs

Etymology: "Contractors" is simply the plural of "contractor," so its history is that of the singular form. The noun was borrowed from Late Latin "contractor," a word built from the Latin "contractus," meaning a drawing together or a binding agreement, which itself came from "contrahere," to draw together. The Latin root carries the sense of parties drawing terms together into a bond, and English took up the noun in the 16th century. The "-tor" ending is a Latin suffix marking a person who performs an action, so a contractor is literally one who enters into or carries out a contract. The idea of a binding agreement sits at the heart of the word, which is why the modern sense of someone hired to complete a job under written terms follows naturally from the original meaning.

Synonyms: builders, developers, construction workers