contraction

[ kuhn-trak-shuhn ]

noun

1. an act or instance of contracting or the quality or state of being contracted:

   The contraction of the ship’s metal fastenings and consequent snapping of the wood caused cracking sounds during the cold night.

2. a shortened form of a word or group of words, with the omitted letters often replaced in written English by an apostrophe, as e'er for ever, isn't for is not, I'd for I would.
3. Physiology.
   1. the thickening and shortening of a muscle:

      Myosin is a protein in muscles, working together with actin to produce muscle contraction.

   2. one in an often rhythmic series of such muscular changes, especially in the wall of the uterus during labor:

      When I got to the hospital, my labor was in full force with only 10 seconds between contractions.

4. a restriction or withdrawal, as of currency or of funds available as call money.
5. a decrease in economic and industrial activity ( expansion ):

   The contraction that became the Great Depression began in the United States and spread around the globe.

contraction

/ kənˈtrækʃən /

noun

1. an instance of contracting or the state of being contracted
2. physiol any normal shortening or tensing of an organ or part, esp of a muscle, e.g. during childbirth
3. pathol any abnormal tightening or shrinking of an organ or part
4. a shortening of a word or group of words, often marked in written English by an apostrophe

   I've come for I have come

contraction

/ kən-trăk′shən /

1. The shortening and thickening of a muscle for the purpose of exerting force on or causing movement of a body part.
2. See more at muscle

contraction

1. A word produced by running two or more words together and leaving out some of the letters or sounds. For example, isn't is a contraction of is not.

Usage Note

Contractions such as isn't, couldn't, can't, weren't, he'll, they're occur chiefly, although not exclusively, in informal speech and writing. They are common in personal letters, business letters, journalism, and fiction; they are rare in scientific and scholarly writing. Contractions occur in formal writing mainly as representations of speech.

Notes

An apostrophe is generally used in contractions to show where letters or sounds have been left out.

Derived Forms

• conˈtractive, adjective
• conˈtractiveness, noun
• conˈtractively, adverb

Other Words From

• con·trac·tion·al adjective
• non·con·trac·tion noun
• o·ver·con·trac·tion noun
• re·con·trac·tion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of contraction¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Old French, from Latin contractiōn-, stem of contractiō, equivalent to contract(us) “drawn together, restricted,” past participle of contrahere + -iōn- noun suffix; contract, -ion

Example Sentences

Jokura added he was most intrigued by “the synchronized contraction of the muscles, which indicates that nerve cells fused quickly, allowing the sharing of electrical signals or action potentials. This could imply a form of shared consciousness, making this phenomenon a valuable experimental model for studying integration mechanisms.”

From Salon

Their lies also serve the purpose of nurturing misgivings about mainstream journalism, which is undergoing a largely unrelated but no less catastrophic contraction.

From Slate

While the entertainment industry at large has been hurting amid a widespread industry contraction, California has been hit particularly hard.

From Los Angeles Times

According to a Politico report, the Catholic Diocese of Scranton lost 39% of its physical churches since 2009 — a contraction in a predominantly white, working class region that, combined with a perceived turn by the Democratic Party towards cultural issues, has alienated much of the population from Catholic churches that once mobilized a Democratic Party-aligned labor movement.

From Salon

All forms of production have been sluggish to rebound amid an ongoing industry contraction that predates the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• decrease
• deflation
• recession
• reduction
• shrinkage