English Dictionary

Define dictionary terms easily in our powerful online English dictionary.

Searching for...

No matching words found

Try a different search term or browse the dictionary

Definition contact in British English

contact noun

noun
/ˈkɒntækt/

▪ avoid, establish, have, initiate, lose, maintain, make, renew, resume, sever

When contact means ‘communication between people, countries, or organizations’, it is usually an uncountable noun, so

▪ it is hardly ever used in the plural

▪ it never comes after a or a number

✗ They live in an isolated place and have no contacts with the outside world.

✓ They live in an isolated place and have no contact with the outside world.

✗ You can only get a feel for the language by having a constant contact with native English speakers.

✓ You can only get a feel for the language by having constant contact with native English speakers.

Contact can also be a countable noun when it means ‘someone you know who can help you’:

She used to teach in Japan, and she has a lot of useful contacts in universities there.

Example

There has been no direct contact between the two sides in the dispute.

Example

Jury members must avoid contact with the defendants and their families.

Example

He is no longer allowed to have any contact with his children.

Example

The school and other care organizations have been in close contact.

Example

Do you and Jo still keep in contact?

Example

In Paris she came into contact with other young writers.

Example

I asked her if she could put me in contact with a good piano teacher.

Example

I've been calling him for weeks but I still haven't made contact.

Example

I have lost contact with most of my university friends.

Example

Our work brings us into contact every day.

Synonyms and related words
1.1

if you have contact with a new idea or way of life, you learn about it by communicating with other people

Example

These people have had very little contact with the modern world.

Synonyms and related words
2

a situation in which people or things touch each other

Example

The disease is spread through sexual contact.

Example

The chemicals become activated on contact with soil.

Example

Make sure the wires do not come into contact with water.

Synonyms and related words
3

someone you know who can help you, for example by finding work for you or giving you information

Example

I'll talk to one of my contacts in the software business.

Synonyms and related words
4

a place where two electrical conductors meet and where electric current passes between them

Synonyms and related words
Synonyms and related words
Definition contact in British English