contingent
noun
1
: a representative group : delegation, detachment
a diplomatic contingent
Last year, 200 floats, bands and other contingents participated.—
Will Johnson
Will Johnson2
: something contingent (see contingent entry 1) : contingency
Examples of contingent in a Sentence
Hollywood, Madison Avenue, the FCC, and a growing contingent in corporate America: It's hard to imagine a more formidable alliance pushing segregated television.
—Tamar Jacoby, New Republic, 24 Jan. 2000
A Maori contingent, unable to face the intensity of the Turkish fire, sought shelter in a nearby gully.
—Martin Gilbert, The First World War, 1994
But just because we banned it [DDT] domestically, under pressure from the bird-watching contingent … it doesn't necessarily follow that the rest of the world was about to jump on the bandwagon.
—T. Coraghessan Boyle, Harper's, April 1993
The group that makes up the largest contingent of voters in this area is the elderly.
A contingent of reporters waited in front of the court for the defendant to appear.
A British contingent was sent to assist the security forces.
Tamar Jacoby, New Republic, 24 Jan. 2000
A Maori contingent, unable to face the intensity of the Turkish fire, sought shelter in a nearby gully.
—Martin Gilbert, The First World War, 1994
But just because we banned it [DDT] domestically, under pressure from the bird-watching contingent … it doesn't necessarily follow that the rest of the world was about to jump on the bandwagon.
—T. Coraghessan Boyle, Harper's, April 1993
The group that makes up the largest contingent of voters in this area is the elderly.
A contingent of reporters waited in front of the court for the defendant to appear.
A British contingent was sent to assist the security forces.
Recent Examples on the Web
Media and fandom fueled the trial’s chaotic atmosphere Given Jackson’s stardom, news and tabloid media swarmed the scene of the trial along with droves of dedicated fans (and a much smaller contingent of detractors).
—Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026
After negotiations that lasted nearly nine hours, Israel and Lebanon agreed to implement a ceasefire, contingent on a cessation of Hezbollah fire and the removal of Hezbollah operatives from southern Lebanon.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
The Americans had a rule against having Black soldiers in armored divisions, so Leclerc — whose biggest contingents were African — had to part with a third of his men to keep his American equipment.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 4 June 2026
This meant that 8 million new residents – a contingent nearly equal in size to the Black American population at the time – would exist outside the Constitution.
—Austin Bussing, The Conversation, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for contingent
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Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026
After negotiations that lasted nearly nine hours, Israel and Lebanon agreed to implement a ceasefire, contingent on a cessation of Hezbollah fire and the removal of Hezbollah operatives from southern Lebanon.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
The Americans had a rule against having Black soldiers in armored divisions, so Leclerc — whose biggest contingents were African — had to part with a third of his men to keep his American equipment.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 4 June 2026
This meant that 8 million new residents – a contingent nearly equal in size to the Black American population at the time – would exist outside the Constitution.
—Austin Bussing, The Conversation, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for contingent
Cite this Entry
“Contingent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contingent. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
contingent
1 of 2 adjective
con·tin·gent
kən-ˈtin-jənt 
: depending on something else
plans contingent on the weather
contingently
adverb
contingent
2 of 2 noun
: a number of persons representing or drawn from an area or group
Etymology
Middle English contingent "uncertain," from early French contingent "touching, happening," derived from Latin contingere "to have contact with, affect, happen" — related to contact, contagious
Legal Definition
contingent
adjective
con·tin·gent
kən-ˈtin-jənt
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