contraction

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /kənˈtrækʃən/ UK /kənˈtrækʃən/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
the act of shrinking or a shortened word form

"Don't" is a contraction of "do not."

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the act of shrinking or a... shrinkageshorteningconstriction tightening reduction abbreviation compression

Opposites

expansion extension dilation enlargement

Word family

Related forms contractcontractileretract tract

Etymology

From Latin contractio(n-) ('a drawing together'), from contrahere ('to draw together'), from con- ('together') + trahere ('to draw, pull').

contractio Latin trahere Latin *tragh- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# contraction

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /kənˈtrækʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /kənˈtrækʃən/

## Meanings
1. the act of shrinking or a shortened word form

## Examples
- "Don't" is a contraction of "do not."

## Synonyms
- shrinkage
- shortening
- constriction
- tightening
- reduction
- abbreviation
- compression

## Antonyms
- expansion
- extension
- dilation
- enlargement

## Related Forms
- contract
- contractile
- retract
- tract

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: contractio
- Root: trahere - to pull
- Root: *tragh-

## Etymology
From Latin contractio(n-) ('a drawing together'), from contrahere ('to draw together'), from con- ('together') + trahere ('to draw, pull').

## AI Etymology
Contraction is from Latin contractio(n-) ('a drawing together'), from contrahere ('to draw together'), from con- ('together') + trahere ('to draw, pull'). Important recorded forms include contractio (Latin), trahere (Latin), and *tragh- (Proto-Indo-European). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers the act of shrinking or a shortened word form. The wider family includes related words such as contract, contractile, retract, and tract.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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