This thesis is a continuation of research initiated by LCDR Daniel L. Ryan, SC, USN to establish a basis for defining words and terms used in the field of contracting. It offers a sample of published definitions presently used in government contracting. A synthesis of different published definitions was produced and the results sent to recognized professionals in the contracting discipline for their opinion. Their feedback was used to arrive at an acceptable definition of the words and terms offered. Concurrent research in this area is being conducted by students at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California and the Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio. Follow-on work needs to be done to define other words and terms in the contracting field using the procedure established by LCDR Ryan. The 25 contracting terms for which consensual definitions were established are presented. Acquisition and contracting term dictionary; Dictionary; Definitions.