contingents

Definition of contingentsnext
plural of contingent
1
as in delegations
a body of persons chosen as representatives of a larger group the local Scout troop traditionally sends a large contingent to the jamboree

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2
as in events
something that might happen officials in charge of managing the national emergency tried to prepare for every contingent, no matter how improbable

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 contingents That’s how many NBC ordered this season — five dramas and three comedies — and the crop may have produced as many strong series contenders as the contingents of 20-25 pilots the networks used to pick up in a single year back in the day. Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 1 May 2026 The first military contingents of the larger, more heavily armed force with personnel drawn from several African and South Asian countries, along with Guatemala and El Salvador, are expected to arrive in Haiti in the next few days. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026 While a few small contingents represented Iowa in the war's eastern theater, the west was where Iowans mainly engaged. Bill Steiden, Des Moines Register, 24 Mar. 2026 The force includes contingents from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Oklahoma, with units rotating in and out of the District on staggered timelines. Steven Beynon, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026 Expected to draw more than 30,000 attendees, this year’s parade will include 111 contingents and 4,500 people. Lisa Hix, Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2026 With athletes spread across four clusters, even the countries with larger contingents were walking in smaller numbers at each venue. Zack Pierce, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2026 Those comments have caused a lot of confusion and angst among European governments—many of whom have sent small military contingents to Greenland, not really as a show of force as much as a signal of disapproval. Connor Okeeffe, Oc Register, 21 Jan. 2026 The changes have been celebrated by some conservative lawmakers, anti-trans groups and some contingents of parents and athletes who believe trans women’s participation tips the scales of fairness. Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 18 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contingents
Noun
  • Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum have also led delegations to Venezuela, which holds the world's largest oil reserves.
    Margaret Brennan, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Still, sporadic cross-border fighting had continued even while delegations from the two sides were attending the talks in Urumqi.
    ABC News, ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • During the all-day hearing Friday, the owners of both companies took the stand to give their often starkly different views of events.
    Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
  • Most days at Bluebird will feature free live music and other entertainment events.
    Michael Deeds Updated May 8, Idaho Statesman, 8 May 2026
Noun
  • The difficulty is that no one knows which frequency to listen to, so even decades of work have covered only a tiny fraction of possibilities.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 3 May 2026
  • As the Moon moves into Sagittarius and activates your 9th House of Perspective, your focus turns toward growth, movement, and bigger possibilities that feel worth pursuing.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
Noun
  • They are also equipped with air-to-air refueling capabilities for contingencies, though they have never been used with a president on board.
    Jonathan J. Cooper, Fortune, 2 May 2026
  • When the state visit to the US was planned, all contingencies were taken into account.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 1 May 2026
Noun
  • From 1993-2023, there were fewer than 900 cases of the virus in the country, according to CDC data.
    Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026
  • The state had filed a motion to join the two cases for a single trial, which the trial court granted on the grounds the evidence in each case would be cross admissible, the high court ruling says.
    Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Contingents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contingents. Accessed 9 May. 2026.

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