contingency

noun con·tin·gen·cy \ kən-ˈtin-jən(t)-sē \

Definition of contingency

plural contingencies

1 :the quality or state of being contingent

2 :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

See contingency defined for English-language learners

See contingency defined for kids

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 of contingency from the Web

The Treasury Market Practices Group, whose members include firms such as Morgan Stanley and BlackRock Inc., is digging up past contingency plans prepared during debt-limit impasses in 2011 and 2013.

— liz mccormick, Bloomberg.com, "Wall Street Is Already Preparing Its Debt-Limit War Room," 30 Aug. 2017
Meanwhile, the Cowboys and the Bengals must make contingency plans.

— mark maske, chicagotribune.com, "A glimpse into the uncertain futures of Ezekiel Elliott and Vontaze Burfict," 29 Aug. 2017
The county is also developing contingency plans in order to keep government operations as normal as possible.

— joshua stewart, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego County's biggest union announces strike date," 29 Aug. 2017
That leads me to this question for team czar Mike Tannenbaum and General Manager Chris Grier: Where is your contingency plan on the offensive line?

— omar kelly, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Dolphins should consider talking Branden Albert out of retirement," 24 Aug. 2017
In the end, the board voted 4-3 to approve the agreement with the contingency language requiring consultation with the Highland Park board.

— lori higgins, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit school board OKs 7% pay hike for teachers over two years," 15 Aug. 2017
Local reaction When news of the Central Grocers bankruptcy emerged, multiple non-profits reached out to the Legacy Foundation looking for a contingency plan, said Vice President Kelly Anoe.

— meredith colias, Post-Tribune, "Charity beneficiaries breathe sigh of relief after Strack & Van Til sale," 27 July 2017
Nonetheless, contingency plans are being lined up for possible mobile classrooms, absorbing some students into other District 116 schools or busing students to a nearby school district, officials said.

— jim newton, Lake County News-Sun, "Rep. Yingling initiates effort to replace flood-destroyed books at Round Lake Park school," 21 July 2017
Aldermen also approved more than $8.1 million in contracts for the project, including $200,000 recommended by city staff for contingencies.

— graydon megan, chicagotribune.com, "Elmhurst Council approves millions for new water meters," 18 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'contingency.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of contingency

see ¹contingent

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1561

See Words from the same year

contingency Synonyms

Synonyms

case, contingence, event, contingent, eventuality, possibility

Related Words

probability; accident, chance, hap, hazard, risk

Synonym Discussion of 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

CONTINGENCY Defined for English Language Learners

contingency

noun

Definition of contingency for English Language Learners

: something (such as an emergency) that might happen

Law Dictionary

contingency

noun con·tin·gen·cy \ kən-ˈtin-jən-sē \

legal Definition of contingency

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

Learn More about contingency

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for contingency Spanish Central: Translation of contingency Nglish: Translation of contingency for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of contingency for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up contingency? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

contingency

Definition of contingency

Explore Merriam-Webster

Examples of contingency in a Sentence

Recent Examples of contingency from the Web

Origin and Etymology of contingency

contingency Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Synonym Discussion of contingency

Phrases Related to CONTINGENCY

Related Phrases

CONTINGENCY Defined for English Language Learners

contingency

Definition of contingency for English Language Learners

Law Dictionary

contingency

legal Definition of contingency

Learn More about contingency

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

I'll Have the Us(ual)

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Words of the Year: 1066