Definition

A word formed by combining two words and leaving out some letters, often using an apostrophe, or the process of becoming smaller or tighter.

Example

In English, "don't" is a contraction of "do not."

Conversation

I learned about contraction in my English class today.

Oh really? What did you find interesting about it?

We talked about how it's the way we shorten words, like 'can't' for 'cannot'.

That's cool! I love how language evolves with those contractions.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Contraction is formed from "con-" (meaning together) and "tractio" (from "tractus", meaning to pull or draw). The word describes the act of pulling together or shortening something.

Memory Tip

Think of 'pulling together' ('con-') to make something shorter ('tractio'). That's how contraction means to shorten.

Visually Confused Words