Step 1: Lanthanoid contraction refers to the progressive decrease in the size of the lanthanide ions as we move from left to right across the lanthanide series. Step 2: This contraction is mainly due to the ineffective shielding of the nuclear charge by the f-electrons. Step 3: Gadolinium (Gd) is the element in the lanthanide series where lanthanoid contraction is most notable due to its electron configuration.