contingency fund

American

Or contingent fund

noun

Accounting.

money or securities set aside to cover unexpected conditions or losses in business, usually supplementing a contingency reserve.

Etymology

Origin of contingency fund

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Since the contingency fund wouldn’t cover the full amount, he ordered it to use another source of money to make up the shortfall.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

“We are digging into a contingency fund that is supposed to be for emergencies,” she said.

From Salon • Nov. 4, 2025

The project has a $450 million budget, with a $50 million contingency fund.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 29, 2023

Leeds Beckett University says it has committed its "entire contingency fund" of £3.4m to help students who are struggling with the cost of living.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2023

The budget adds $20.2 million to the county’s contingency fund, bringing that total to $45.3 million.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2022

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023