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

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 planning is taking place for every eventuality so we can keep costs down for everyone and provide support for those who need it most," she said.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Contingency agreements can change if litigation becomes much more expensive.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 11, 2026

Less than four years ago, the states seemed to be solving problems amicably, and agreed to water reductions in a deal called the Drought Contingency Plan.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 2, 2023

In 2026, the Interim Guidelines the states rely on, a Drought Contingency Plan and agreements with Mexico will all expire.

From Salon • Dec. 23, 2022

My ruling is that the Code applies, strictly, until I declare the state of Ultimate Contingency.

From The Galaxy Primes by Smith, E. E. (Edward Elmer)

Related Words

• emergency
• eventuality
• exigency
• probability