contracted
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to have caught a disease or illness.
v.to have become infected with a disease or medical condition. Transitive — requires the name of the illness as a direct object.
Simple“He contracted a rare fever while traveling through the tropical jungle.”
In context“The patient reportedly contracted the virus during a period of high community transmission, despite having no known direct contact with infected individuals.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.became shorter, tighter, or smaller in size.
v.underwent a reduction in size, extent, or volume. Intransitive in this sense.
Simple“The metal cooled and contracted slightly as the temperature dropped.”
In context“As the muscle fibers contracted, the limb moved upward in a smooth, controlled motion that demonstrated the athlete's recovery.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
adj.agreed upon in a formal or legal way.
adj.established or settled by a formal contract or legal agreement.
Simple“The company failed to provide the contracted services on time.”
In context“The dispute arose when the developer attempted to alter the contracted specifications without seeking prior approval from the municipal planning board.”
Synonyms - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.shortened by leaving out letters, like 'don't' instead of 'do not'.
adj.referring to a word or phrase that has been shortened by the omission of internal letters. Used primarily in linguistics.
Simple“In casual speech, people often use contracted forms like 'I'm' or 'we'll'.”
In context“The professor noted that while contracted forms are standard in spoken English, they should be avoided in highly formal academic dissertations.”
Synonyms
“Before then, around 18,000 children every year contracted the virus before their 10th birthday .”
“This is the first time NASA has contracted with a commercial company to service one of its satellites.”