contingency

American  

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

noun

• contingencies
  plural

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.

---

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

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• contingencies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of contingency

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

Explanation

If you plan to walk home if the weather is nice, but bring subway fare just in case, then taking the subway is your contingency plan. A contingency is an event you can't be sure will happen or not. The noun contingency describes something that might or might not happen. We use it to describe an event or situation that is a possible outcome but one that's impossible to predict with certainty. A company might have a contingency plan for what to do if something goes wrong with their primary strategy, also known as "plan B." They might even have plans C, D, and E, to prepare for multiple contingencies.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

contingency contingencies

If LA28 does experience a financial loss, it first would tap its own $330-million contingency fund, he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

But Ellison also is making contingency plans to shift Paramount’s historic home base from Melrose Avenue to Tennessee — or perhaps Texas — as early as this fall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

Most retirees fear running out of money, which is why they tend to be conservative investors and spenders, and why they build in so many contingency plans.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026

It is common for companies in the U.S. to have contingency plans for their China businesses and a number of U.S. companies have already spun out their China arms into independent companies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

“Well, if things get really rough, you could take your dogs next door. The Coastal Animal Shelter. I’m sure they have emergency contingency plans.”

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein

"Even though people might think it was under control, you should always have precautions in place, you should always have contingencies in place - and both of those things weren't put in place."

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

Here are their Social-Security decision points and the contingencies they need to plan for.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 12, 2026

For the last two years, I have been researching a book about the making of “All the President’s Men,” whose production involved almost as many contingencies and unresolved questions as Watergate itself.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026

Various branches of the military draw up plans for all sorts of contingencies in case the president thinks about ordering one.

From Slate ● Apr. 1, 2026

I'd planned for a million contingencies: Her at home, him at home, both of them at home, and this is the one I knew would be the best scenario for me.

From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse

Related Words

• emergency
• eventuality
• exigency
• probability