Definition of contingencenext
as in possibility
something that might happen the collapse of that nation's economy was one contingence that the architects of the war hadn't planned on

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of contingence The team had a strong veteran contingence, but none of those veterans had anyone to lead them. — Anthony Fenech, Detroit Free Press, 24 Sep. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contingence
Noun
  • More than a splash of color Perhaps the more interesting possibility lies beyond multi-color printing altogether.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Major cringe, on the other hand, navigates the aesthetic affect critically and formally to induce it—viscerally exploiting its possibilities.
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The last includes those black-swan events that come out of left field and test a company’s resilience, from war to pandemics.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Last year, Kort helped launch an Eat the Invaders event, bringing chefs together to channel people’s appetite for delicious food by cooking with invasive and overabundant species.
    — Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Navigating this contingency presents a deeply challenging decision for Ermotti.
    — , CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Working with the era's primitive technology, Margaret thought through the various mishaps that could occur on a spaceflight and designed the software to handle every contingency.
    — Dean Robbins, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear a case about the role race plays in middle school admissions, three years after a majority on the high court struck down affirmative action in college.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Three civil rights cases could ultimately unravel one of the transgender rights movement’s greatest Supreme Court victories, according to legal analysts.
    — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 21 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Contingence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contingence. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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