contingency

American  

[kuhn-tin-juhn-see] / kənˈtɪn dʒən si /

noun

plural

contingencies

1. dependence on chance or on the fulfillment of a condition; uncertainty; fortuitousness.

   Nothing was left to contingency.

2. a contingent event; a chance, accident, or possibility conditional on something uncertain.

   He was prepared for every contingency.

   Synonyms:

   predicament, likelihood, emergency

3. something incidental to a thing.

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contingency British  

/ kənˈtɪndʒənsɪ /

noun

1. 1. a possible but not very likely future event or condition; eventuality

   2. ( as modifier )

      a contingency plan

2. something dependent on a possible future event

3. a fact, event, etc, incidental to or dependent on something else

4. 1. modification of the meaning of a main clause by use of a bound clause introduced by a binder such as if, when, though, or since Compare adding

   2. ( as modifier )

      a contingency clause

5. logic

   1. the state of being contingent

   2. a contingent statement

6. dependence on chance; uncertainty

7. statistics

   1. the degree of association between theoretical and observed common frequencies of two graded or classified variables. It is measured by the chi-square test

   2. ( as modifier )

      a contingency table

      the contingency coefficient

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Etymology

Origin of contingency

First recorded in 1555–65; conting(ent) + -ency

Example Sentences

The bank denied the Journal’s reporting in January that a top Goldman executive told a few close associates he was formulating a contingency plan in which Ruemmler would leave later this year.

From The Wall Street Journal

“These common contingencies — inspection, appraisal, financing, sale of the buyer’s current home, clear title, etc. — mean that backing out for those reasons is lawful and permitted under the contract.”

From MarketWatch

But by the same token, sources have told BBC Sport that work towards a contingency plan in the event they make a decision they really don't want to make illustrates the precarity of Frank's position.

From BBC

"We have contingency plans to secure the sufficient supply for the hot mill from various sources."

From Barron's

To address their concerns, Mr. Albright and Ms. Stricker suggest “the international community, led by the U.S. and Europe, with Russian and Chinese buy-in, must develop contingency plans to prevent” hazards.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• emergency
• eventuality
• exigency
• probability