contingency

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

Updated on: 23 May 2018

Definition of contingency

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

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

Boone hopes to host Dr. Phillips in a 9A region semi Friday at 4 p.m. The contingency plan is to play Saturday at 10 a.m. should rain and lightning cause any further delays.

— j.c. carnahan, OrlandoSentinel.com, "High school baseball playoff games rained out," 18 May 2018
And officials are urging states in the Colorado River Basin to finalize drought contingency plans before the end of the year, as the possibility of future shortages loom (Climatewire, May 10).

— chelsea harvey, Scientific American, "Dismal Western Snowpack is a Climate “Warning Sign”," 14 May 2018
The contests for governor and lieutenant figure to both go the distance toward an August primary, with several candidates already conducting petition drives as a contingency plan to get onto the ballot.

— neil vigdor, courant.com, "With Stewart Out, Boughton Maneuvers As Republicans Prepare To Pick A Candidate," 12 May 2018
The stock has recovered about a third of last week’s plunge as executives laid out contingency plans for its crude.

— ryan dezember, WSJ, "Heart of America’s Oil Boom Can’t Fetch Good Prices for Its Crude," 10 May 2018
There are attorneys that will take cases on contingency, which is usually the only way that anyone can afford to do it.

— hope reese, Vox, "Gretchen Carlson is fighting this secret tool companies use to protect harassers," 30 Apr. 2018
Your local bar association may have some attorneys, usually younger ones, who will be willing to take your case on a contingency or reduced fee basis.

— benny l. kass, chicagotribune.com, "Mold, leaks, corroded pipes: After moving into new house, buyers uncover flood of issues," 24 Apr. 2018
Ohio crash victims can hire an attorney on contingency to sue the at-fault driver for damages that insurance won't pay.

— jc reindl, Detroit Free Press, "Ohio drivers pay less, get less for auto insurance than in Michigan," 23 Mar. 2018
Bayern Munich are lining up a club-record swoop for Juventus striker Paulo Dybala this summer, as the club make contingency plans for Robert Lewandowski's potential Allianz Arena exit, according to reports in Germany.

— SI.com, "Bayern Planning Club-Record £88m Bid for Juventus Ace in Preparation for Possible Lewandowski Exit," 4 May 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 2

See Words from the same year

contingency Synonyms

Synonyms

condition, if, provision, proviso, qualification, reservation, stipulation;

Related Words

strings, terms;

precondition, prerequisite, requirement, requisite;

limitation, modification, restriction;

exception, exemption;

demand, essential, must, necessity, need;

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

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contingency

Definition of contingency

Examples of contingency in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of contingency

contingency Synonyms

Synonyms

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Synonym Discussion of contingency

Phrases Related to CONTINGENCY

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CONTINGENCY Defined for English Language Learners

contingency

Definition of contingency for English Language Learners

Law Dictionary

contingency

legal Definition of contingency

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