contingent

American  

[kuhn-tin-juhnt] / kənˈtɪn dʒənt /

adjective

1. dependent for existence, occurrence, character, etc., on something not yet certain; conditional (often followed by on orupon ).

   Our plans are contingent on the weather.

2. liable to happen or not; uncertain; possible.

   They had to plan for contingent expenses.

3. happening by chance or without known cause; fortuitous; accidental.

   contingent occurrences.

4. Logic. (of a proposition) neither logically necessary nor logically impossible, so that its truth or falsity can be established only by sensory observation.

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noun

• contingents
  plural

1. a quota of troops furnished.

2. any one of the representative groups composing an assemblage.

   the New York contingent at a national convention.

3. the proportion that falls to one as a share to be contributed or furnished.

4. something contingent; contingency.

contingent British  

/ kənˈtɪndʒənt /

adjective

1. dependent on events, conditions, etc, not yet known; conditional

2. logic (of a proposition) true under certain conditions, false under others; not necessary

3. (in systemic grammar) denoting contingency (sense 4)

4. metaphysics (of some being) existing only as a matter of fact; not necessarily existing

5. happening by chance or without known cause; accidental

6. that may or may not happen; uncertain

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noun

1. a part of a military force, parade, etc

2. a representative group distinguished by common origin, interests, etc, that is part of a larger group or gathering

3. a possible or chance occurrence

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• noncontingent
  adjective
• uncontingent
  adjective
• contingently
  adverb
• noncontingently
  adverb
• uncontingently
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• contingents
  plural

Etymology

Origin of contingent

First recorded in 1350–1400; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin contingent-, stem of contingēns “touching together,” present participle of contingere “to touch together, come into contact with,” equivalent to con- con- + -tingere, variant stem of tangere “to touch”

Explanation

The adjective contingent can be used to describe something that can occur only when something else happens first. Making money is contingent on finding a good-paying job. When an event or situation is contingent, it means that it depends on some other event or fact. For example, sometimes buying a new house has to be contingent upon someone else buying your old house first. That way you don't end up owning two houses! As a noun, contingent means either "a group of soldiers that joins a larger force," like a contingent of British troops sent to assist American soldiers, or "a group of people with something in common," like the contingent of folks dressed as Batman at Comic-Con.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

contingent contingents

Records show that the property is now under contingent offer, meaning that it is in escrow and moving toward closing.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

Jamelle Bouie: I think it’s entirely historically contingent.

From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026

Power showed that 96% of polled EV owners say they would consider purchasing or leasing another—but that outcome is contingent on having options in the EV market.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

However, he gave no date for the meeting, saying it was contingent on "adequate preparation", suggesting that included making progress in confidence-building measures.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

While I felt at ease giving my talk on TMV in shorts, the French contingent feared that I would go one step further by arriving at Sans Souci in the same outfit.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

But much like other companies with cult followings and eager contingents of wealthy fans, traditional ways of calculating how much companies are worth don’t apply well to SpaceX.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

The firing on Wednesday of two Type-88 missiles formed part of exercises in the Philippines between US, Australian, Filipino and Japanese troops as well as contingents from France, New Zealand and Canada.

From Barron's ● May 7, 2026

The contrast with the negotiations a decade ago couldn't be starker – the American and Iranian delegations included strong contingents of experienced diplomats and leading physicists.

From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2026

In Los Angeles this summer, contingents of heavily armed, masked agents began chasing down and arresting day laborers, street vendors and car wash workers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2025

The audience seated in the chamber was a conglomeration of Durham’s various racial factions; there were contingents from UOCI, the BSC, the Klan, and the White Citizens’ Council.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

• batch
• detachment