contingent liability

American  

noun

1. a liability dependent upon the occurrence of a particular event, as default by the maker of a guaranteed loan.

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Example Sentences

Stripping out one-time items—primarily related to pending claims and settlements, as well as a loss on a contingent liability measurement—earnings were $1.89 a share.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

Last December, in a report, the IMF flagged India's "elevated public debt levels and contingent liability risks".

From BBC • May 8, 2024

“Ex-Im is a smaller one. … We should find ways to lessen the contingent liability of the federal government.”

From Slate • Mar. 2, 2015

From the outset, it seemed curious that any businessman would buy a business facing a potential and widely reported £49m contingent liability if it was defeated in a tax tribunal.

From The Guardian • Feb. 13, 2012

But it is a case where, if the Allies wished to strain a point, they could impose contingent liability on Germany without running seriously contrary to the general intention of their engagements.

From The Economic Consequences of the Peace by Keynes, John Maynard