contingency

noun

con·​tin·​gen·​cy kən-ˈtin-jən(t)-sē 

plural contingencies

1

: a contingent event or condition: such as

a

: an event (such as an emergency) that may but is not certain to occur

trying to provide for every contingency

b

: something liable to happen as an adjunct to or result of something else

the contingencies of war

2

: the quality or state of being contingent

Synonyms

• possibility
• event
• contingent
• case

Choose the Right Synonym for contingency

juncture, exigency, emergency, contingency, pinch, strait (or straits) crisis mean a critical or crucial time or state of affairs.

juncture stresses the significant concurrence or convergence of events.

an important juncture in our country's history

exigency stresses the pressure of restrictions or urgency of demands created by a special situation.

provide for exigencies

emergency applies to a sudden unforeseen situation requiring prompt action to avoid disaster.

the presence of mind needed to deal with emergencies

contingency implies an emergency or exigency that is regarded as possible but uncertain of occurrence.

contingency plans

pinch implies urgency or pressure for action to a less intense degree than exigency or emergency.

come through in a pinch

strait, now commonly straits, applies to a troublesome situation from which escape is extremely difficult.

in dire straits

crisis applies to a juncture whose outcome will make a decisive difference.

a crisis of confidence

Examples of contingency in a Sentence

Nothing was overlooked. There was a fallback position, a fail-safe provision, for any contingency. —Gary Wills, New York Times Review of Books, 1 Apr. 2001

It is difficult to distinguish all the legitimate and illegitimate kinds and uses of information. Writing laws to regulate all contingencies is like trying to capture broth in a colander. —George F. Will, Newsweek, 2 Mar. 1987

Was it merely the expression of her displeasure at Miss Bart's neglect, or had disquieting rumours reached her? The latter contingency seemed improbable, yet Lily was not without a sense of uneasiness. —Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth, 1905

In making our business plans, we tried to prepare for any contingency that might hurt sales.

agencies trying to provide for every contingency in a national emergency

Recent Examples on the Web

Her Renaissance colleagues worked out a plan to support Fete personally and artistically while also ensuring backup for contingencies. —Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 24 Sep. 2025

In a Taiwan contingency, the drones could be used in swarms for saturation strikes or as decoys to reveal air defense sites. —Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2025

In response, Williams said there are contingencies in place. —Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2025

While many may worry that lending financial support to their children may be crippling them or enabling them, nearly 77% of the parents surveyed do so with some kind of stipulation or contingency. —Essence, 19 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

conting(ence) + -ency

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing contingency

• contingency fee
• contingency fund
• contingency plan
• contingency table

Rhymes for contingency

• astringency
• stringency

Kids Definition

contingency

noun

con·​tin·​gen·​cy kən-ˈtin-jən-sē 

plural contingencies

: something (as an emergency) that might or might not happen or that might happen if something else occurs

prepared for every contingency

Legal Definition

contingency

noun

con·​tin·​gen·​cy kən-ˈtin-jən-sē 

plural contingencies

1

: the quality or state of being contingent

2

: a contingent event or condition: as

a

: an event that may but is not certain to occur

a contingency that made performance under the contract impossible

b

: something likely to come about as an adjunct to or result of something else

specifically : contingency fee at fee 2

whether a case is on a contingency or billed at an hourly rate

—D. R. Frederico