contract
n. countablen. a formal, written agreement between two or more people or companies. It usually explains what each person must do, like a job or a sale.
n. a legally binding agreement between two or more parties that creates mutual obligations. Often used in commercial, employment, or legal contexts to define terms of service or exchange.
You must sign the contract before you start the job.
The landlord and the new tenant both signed the rental contract after agreeing on the monthly price.
Failure to deliver the materials by the specified deadline constitutes a breach of contract, which may result in significant financial penalties as outlined in the original agreement.
From Middle English, from Old French contract, from Latin contractus (noun), from contrahere (“to bring together, to bring about, to conclude a bargain”) [from con- (“with, together”) + trahere (“to draw, to pull”)] + -tus (suffix forming nouns from verbs).
From Middle English, from Middle French contracter, from Latin contractum, past participle of contrahere (“to bring together, to bring about, to conclude a bargain”), from con- (“with, together”) + trahere (“to draw, to pull”). The verb developed after the noun, and originally meant only "draw together"; the sense "make a contract with" developed later.
Commonly takes the verbs 'sign', 'breach', 'terminate', or 'negotiate'. Often followed by the preposition 'with' or 'between'.
make a contract withsign a contract withWhile 'make' is understood, 'sign', 'enter into', or 'draw up' are the standard professional collocations for formal agreements.