"Contract" vs. "Agreement"

I´m building a term base from a large body of texts--all from the same client, but translated by multiple linguists. The word "contrato," which appears hundreds of times in these documents, can be translated as either "agreement" or "contract," and it seems the translators were choosing one or the other almost at random. I´m not a lawyer, but I´m pretty sure these two words have different legal meanings. Can anyone recommend a solid guideline for knowing when to use "contract" and when to use "agreement"? Thanks!

Hello Will

You are correct.

"An agreement usually lacks one or more of the essential elements that are required to be present in order to form a valid contract that will be considered legally enforceable by a court of law."

Contract Vs Agreement - Contract Law | Laws.com

https://www.google.com/search?source...30.0iYvgbAv2Ys


Agreement vs. Contract

"An agreement is any understanding or arrangement reached between two or more parties. A contract is a specific type of agreement that, by its terms and elements, is legally binding and enforceable in a court of law."

https://www.diffen.com/difference/Agreement_vs_Contract