contingency

noun

con·​tin·​gen·​cy kən-ˈtin-jən(t)-sē 

plural contingencies

1

: a contingent event or condition: such as

a

: an event (such as an emergency) that may but is not certain to occur

trying to provide for every contingency

b

: something liable to happen as an adjunct to or result of something else

the contingencies of war

2

: the quality or state of being contingent

Synonyms of contingency

• possibility
• event
• contingent
• case

Choose the Right Synonym for contingency

juncture, exigency, emergency, contingency, pinch, strait (or straits) crisis mean a critical or crucial time or state of affairs.

juncture stresses the significant concurrence or convergence of events.

an important juncture in our country's history

exigency stresses the pressure of restrictions or urgency of demands created by a special situation.

provide for exigencies

emergency applies to a sudden unforeseen situation requiring prompt action to avoid disaster.

the presence of mind needed to deal with emergencies

contingency implies an emergency or exigency that is regarded as possible but uncertain of occurrence.

contingency plans

pinch implies urgency or pressure for action to a less intense degree than exigency or emergency.

come through in a pinch

strait, now commonly straits, applies to a troublesome situation from which escape is extremely difficult.

in dire straits

crisis applies to a juncture whose outcome will make a decisive difference.

a crisis of confidence

Examples of contingency in a Sentence

Nothing was overlooked. There was a fallback position, a fail-safe provision, for any contingency. —Gary Wills, New York Times Review of Books, 1 Apr. 2001

It is difficult to distinguish all the legitimate and illegitimate kinds and uses of information. Writing laws to regulate all contingencies is like trying to capture broth in a colander. —George F. Will, Newsweek, 2 Mar. 1987

Was it merely the expression of her displeasure at Miss Bart's neglect, or had disquieting rumours reached her? The latter contingency seemed improbable, yet Lily was not without a sense of uneasiness. —Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth, 1905

In making our business plans, we tried to prepare for any contingency that might hurt sales.

agencies trying to provide for every contingency in a national emergency

Recent Examples on the Web

Small human decisions that were also embedded in history and contingency and politics, right? —Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026

Meanwhile, on Earth, NASA astronaut Don Pettit shared photos of what the contingency urinal devices look like. —Tariq Malik, Space.com, 5 Apr. 2026

The district spokesperson said Friday that as part of its contingency planning, LAUSD is preparing to provide take-home instructional materials and access to online learning, along with devices and internet connectivity where needed. —Teresa Liu, Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026

But with one-fifth of the world’s oil supply still largely bottled up in the Persian Gulf, which provides more than 80% of Asia’s energy supplies, shortages are worsening and getting hard to stave off with contingency measures. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

conting(ence) + -ency

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing contingency

• contingency fee
• contingency fund
• contingency plan
• contingency table

Rhymes for contingency

• astringency
• stringency

Kids Definition

contingency

noun

con·​tin·​gen·​cy kən-ˈtin-jən-sē 

plural contingencies

: something (as an emergency) that might or might not happen or that might happen if something else occurs

prepared for every contingency

Legal Definition

contingency

noun

con·​tin·​gen·​cy kən-ˈtin-jən-sē 

plural contingencies

1

: the quality or state of being contingent

2

: a contingent event or condition: as

a

: an event that may but is not certain to occur

a contingency that made performance under the contract impossible

b

: something likely to come about as an adjunct to or result of something else

specifically : contingency fee at fee 2

whether a case is on a contingency or billed at an hourly rate

—D. R. Frederico