--- title: "Contract · Agentic Atlas" description: "Contract: the designed expression of expectations at a seam, ranging from informal prose to mechanically enforced structure." canonical: "https://agentic-atlas.dev/glossary/contract" last-updated: "2026-08-19" --- Glossary definition # Contract Atlas key contract Catalog order 10 Used in 11 sections Catalog revision · 35263c4c415da742953d0462804fb14424e2244dae4c63efd27e468988de70ab the designed expression of expectations at a seam, ranging from informal prose to mechanically enforced structure. Every seam has an interface; only the needed share must be made explicit. ([the contract](https://agentic-atlas.dev/nodes/contract-documentation)) [Browse the complete glossary](https://agentic-atlas.dev/glossary) ## Used in - [The Context Economy](https://agentic-atlas.dev/nodes/context-economy#relationships) Relationships · 1 mention - [Cost Relocation](https://agentic-atlas.dev/nodes/cost-relocation#forces) Forces · 1 mention - [Effect Discipline](https://agentic-atlas.dev/nodes/effect-discipline#model-and-claims) Model and claims · 1 mention - [Foundations](https://agentic-atlas.dev/nodes/foundations#why-it-matters) Why it matters · 1 mention - [Heavy Agent](https://agentic-atlas.dev/nodes/heavy-agent#avoid-when-where-the-pattern-ends) Avoid when · 1 mention - [LLM Dispatch](https://agentic-atlas.dev/nodes/llm-dispatch#model-and-claims) Model and claims · 1 mention - [No Duck Left Behind](https://agentic-atlas.dev/nodes/no-duck-left-behind#before) Before · 1 mention - [One Guide, Three Bills](https://agentic-atlas.dev/nodes/one-guide-three-bills#context) Context · 1 mention - [Parallel Audit Investigation](https://agentic-atlas.dev/nodes/parallel-audit-investigation#choice) Choice · 1 mention - [The Contract Keystone](https://agentic-atlas.dev/nodes/the-contract-keystone#definition-the-analogy-declaration-versus-enforcement) Definition · 1 mention - [The Unsent Thunderstorm](https://agentic-atlas.dev/nodes/unsent-thunderstorm#verification) Verification · 1 mention