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contract out

B2 neutral separable both
In simple words

To pay an outside company to do work for you, or to formally choose to leave a plan or scheme.

Meanings

1 B2 neutral

To arrange for work or services to be done by an external company rather than internally.

"The council decided to contract out its cleaning services to a private company to cut costs."

Grammar: separable
2 C1 formal

To formally withdraw from or choose not to participate in a scheme or arrangement.

"Workers were automatically enrolled in the pension plan but could contract out if they chose."

Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes

Common in business, government, and employment contexts. The 'outsource' sense is very common in business language. The 'withdraw from a scheme' sense is mainly British and appears in pension and employment law discussions.

Commonly used with

work services cleaning catering pension scheme

Forms

Base
contract out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
contracts out
he/she/it
Past simple
contracted out
yesterday
Past participle
contracted out
have + pp
-ing form
contracting out
continuous

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