CONTRACT OUT

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does contract out mean? 

• CONTRACT OUT (verb)
  The verb CONTRACT OUT has 2 senses:

1. assign a job to someone outside one's own business

2. refuse to pay a levy to a union for political use

  Familiarity information: CONTRACT OUT used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CONTRACT OUT (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Assign a job to someone outside one's own business

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "contract out" is one way to...):

contract; sign; sign on; sign up (engage by written agreement)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 2

Meaning:

Refuse to pay a levy to a union for political use

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "contract out" is one way to...):

decline; refuse (show unwillingness towards)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Antonym:

contract in (consent in writing to pay money to a trade union for political use)