Subcontract: meaning, definitions and examples

This term is used when referring to the act of hiring a third party to fulfill part of a larger contract. It is commonly used in business, particularly in construction and manufacturing.

• We decided to subcontract the electrical work to a specialized company.
• The main contractor suggested subcontracting certain tasks to save time.

Used when hiring another company or individual to perform part of the work that is originally contracted to you. This is common in construction and large-scale projects.

• We need to subcontract the electrical work to a specialist.
• The main contractor decided to subcontract the plumbing job.

Used when obtaining goods or services from an external source, often from another country. This is common in business for cost-saving purposes.

• Many companies outsource their customer service to other countries.
• They decided to outsource the software development to an external firm.

Used when assigning responsibilities or tasks to other people within the same organization or team. It's often used in a managerial or team setting.

• As a manager, you should delegate tasks to your team members.
• She decided to delegate the report writing to her assistant.