Definition of contingency
contingencies
1 : the quality or state of being contingent
2 : a contingent event or condition: such asa : an event (such as an emergency) that may but is not certain to occur trying to provide for every contingencyb : something liable to happen as an adjunct to or result of something else the contingencies of war
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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
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Aldermen also approved more than $8.1 million in contracts for the project, including $200,000 recommended by city staff for contingencies.
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Currently, Rogers argues, the space contingency of the Air Force is getting short shrift.
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But something almost as wondrous replaces this intelligence: a natural world that is blindly self-directing, a world that is driven by struggle and contingency, a universe authored not by some abstract Almighty—but by itself.
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Delays in the delivery of construction materials, on top of unexpectedly major repairs to the building's structural supports, forced the city to dip into its contingency fund for the project, officials said.
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Carney Tells Banks to Act Bank of England Governor Mark Carney reiterated on Tuesday that banks need to not only establish contingency plans for Brexit, but activate them too.
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The budget also features an expansion of the district’s orchestra program to sixth-graders, 16 growth positions and six contingency positions.
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Using the foundation interest would require a contingency plan in case earnings aren't as high as expected.
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San Diego Superior Court Presiding Judge Jeffrey Barton said a contingency plan is in place to deal with delays.
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
Synonym Discussion of contingency
CONTINGENCY Defined for English Language Learners
contingency
playDefinition of contingency for English Language Learners
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: something (such as an emergency) that might happen
Law Dictionary
contingency
playLegal Definition of contingency
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
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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
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