contingency
noun
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Definition of contingency
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
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Synonyms for contingency
Synonyms
condition, if, provision, proviso, qualification, reservation, stipulation
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Examples of contingency in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Like other plaintiffs' lawyers who work on contingency, Avenatti lives on a boom-and-bust pay cycle. — Michael Finnegan, latimes.com, "Law firm of Stormy Daniels' attorney hit with $10-million judgment," 22 May 2018 The potential for Arizona teachers to launch a first-ever statewide strike has school districts, parents and education officials making contingency plans despite a lack of clarity about what may happen and when. — Jaimy Jones, Houston Chronicle, "Pasadena ISD OKs pay raise for teachers," 7 July 2018 Those closest to the market are less fazed by this contingency, however, knowing that Beijing mostly turned off that tap well over a year ago. — Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, "Will Hollywood Get Caught in Trump's China Trade War Crossfire?," 13 July 2018 The Pentagon reportedly is assessing the costs of reducing or redeploying U.S. troops stationed in Germany — who are there not simply to defend Europe but to position the United States for military contingencies in Africa and the Middle East. — James Goldgeier, Washington Post, "President Trump goes to Europe this week. Its leaders are bracing for the impact.," 9 July 2018 Principal — whose customers include automotive suppliers and other major companies in the United States and abroad — accounts for contingencies like unexpected price swings in its contracts. — Patricia Cohen, New York Times, "Tariffs? Time for a Plan B: ‘Gobble Up Every Bit of Material That I Can’," 5 July 2018 Too much evidence has been gathered, and too many prosecutors, who have surely considered and planned for the contingency, stand ready to carry on. — Paul Thornton, latimes.com, "Why Mueller will remain Trump's menace," 19 May 2018 The total expenditure of $364,065 includes about $16,773 for contingencies. — David Ibata, ajc, "Woodstock OKs $347K contract for street paving," 3 May 2018 The Fallston project, which cost about $14 million and was done a few summers ago, went well, Brown said, and was on time, on schedule and money was left over at the end for contingencies. — Erika Butler, The Aegis, "Failing C. Milton Wright elevator to be replaced by next school year," 15 Mar. 2018These 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.
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More Definitions for contingency
contingency
noun
English Language Learners Definition of contingency
: something (such as an emergency) that might happen
See the full definition for contingency in the English Language Learners Dictionary
contingency
noun
\
Legal Definition of contingency
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
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