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.

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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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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

"Contingency plans to protect essential services are ready if required, and government is working closely with charities whose support for households remains as important now as ever," he said.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

Contingency agreements can change if litigation becomes much more expensive.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 11, 2026

What feels like a moment between when Mark S. clocked out for the MDR employees' rule-breaking "Overtime Contingency" mission and his return to the office is, in truth, a pause that lasted months.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2025

Both incorporate commitments for reductions under previous agreements, including cuts that are occurring this year under a 2019 deal called the Drought Contingency Plan, and reductions under a previous U.S.-Mexico agreement.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2023

Contingency forbids any inevitable history, and conclusions are absurd.

From Memories and Studies by James, Henry

Related Words

• emergency
• eventuality
• exigency
• probability