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.

---

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

---

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

Shortening the ballot-curing window, Alexander said, would probably require a broader discussion with election stakeholders and is contingent on there being broad voter access to electronic signature-curing options, which are not in place yet.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

“It’s all contingent on how his knee is feeling,” Roberts said of Ohtani’s second-half workload.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

“The wide range suggests outcomes remain highly contingent on how durable the current positive market backdrop proves to be.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

Argentina's Premier League contingent have contributed four goals, while Spain's have added three.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

Caul was no longer with us—he had stayed behind with the larger contingent of soldiers to “mop up,” which I think meant scouring the loop for hiders and stragglers.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs

The biggest contingents were from Egypt, Cameroon and Ghana, it said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026

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 former official who spoke anonymously recalled how the Obamas were particularly struck by the camel-mounted contingents - a moment that stayed with them long after the formal ceremonies ended.

From BBC ● Jan. 24, 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 officer doing the “split” divides incoming inmates into two contingents that line up on either side of the room’s periphery and wait their turn on the serving line.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

Related Words

• batch
• detachment