What does contingent mean?

Definitions for contingent
kənˈtɪn dʒəntcon·tin·gent

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word contingent.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. contingentnoun

    a gathering of persons representative of some larger group

    "each nation sent a contingent of athletes to the Olympics"

  2. contingent, detailadjective

    a temporary military unit

    "the peacekeeping force includes one British contingent"

  3. contingentadjective

    possible but not certain to occur

    "they had to plan for contingent expenses"

  4. contingent, contingent on(p), contingent upon(p), dependent on(p), dependant on(p), dependent upon(p), dependant upon(p), depending on(p)adjective

    determined by conditions or circumstances that follow

    "arms sales contingent on the approval of congress"

  5. contingentadjective

    uncertain because of uncontrollable circumstances

    "the results of confession were not contingent, they were certain"- George Eliot

Wiktionary

  1. contingentnoun

    An event which may or may not happen; that which is unforeseen, undetermined, or dependent on something future; a contingency.

  2. contingentnoun

    That which falls to one in a division or apportionment among a number; a suitable share; proportion;

  3. contingentnoun

    (military) a quota of troops.

  4. contingentadjective

    Possible or liable, but not certain to occur; incidental; casual.

  5. contingentadjective

    (with upon) Dependent on something that is undetermined or unknown.

    The success of his undertaking is contingent upon events which he can not control.

  6. contingentadjective

    Dependent on something that may or may not occur.

    a contingent estate

  7. contingentadjective

    Not logically necessarily true or false.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Contingentadjective

    Falling out by chance; accidental; not determinable by any certain rule.

    Etymology: contingens, Latin.

    Hazard naturally implies in it, first, something future; secondly, something contingent. South.

    I first thoroughly informed myself in all material circumstances of it, in more places than one, that there might be nothing casual or contingent in any one of those circumstances. John Woodward, Natural History.

  2. Contingentnoun

    By contingents we are to understand those things which come to pass without any human forecast. Nehemiah Grew, Cosmol. b. iii. c. 2.

    His understanding could almost pierce into future contingents, his conjectures improving even to prophecy. Robert South, Sermons.

ChatGPT

  1. contingent

    Contingent generally refers to something that is dependent on something else or subject to change due to certain conditions or circumstances. It typically represents uncertainty or a situation where the outcome can vary. It can relate to events, outcomes, obligations, or liabilities that will or will not occur or arise, depending on certain future events or circumstances.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Contingentadjective

    possible, or liable, but not certain, to occur; incidental; casual

  2. Contingentadjective

    dependent on that which is undetermined or unknown; as, the success of his undertaking is contingent upon events which he can not control

  3. Contingentadjective

    dependent for effect on something that may or may not occur; as, a contingent estate

  4. Contingentnoun

    an event which may or may not happen; that which is unforeseen, undetermined, or dependent on something future; a contingency

  5. Contingentnoun

    that which falls to one in a division or apportionment among a number; a suitable share; proportion; esp., a quota of troops

  6. Etymology: [L. contingens, -entis, p. pr. of contingere to touch on all sides, to happen; con- + tangere to touch: cf. F. contingent. See Tangent, Tact.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Contingent

    kon-tin′jent, adj. dependent on something else: liable but not certain to happen: accidental.—n. an event which is liable but not certain to occur: a share or proportion, esp. of soldiers.—ns. Contin′gence, Contin′gency.—adv. Contin′gently. [L. contingent-emcon, tangĕre, to touch.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms

  1. contingent

    The quota of armed men, or pecuniary subsidy, which one state gives to another. Also, certain allowances made to commanding officers to defray necessary expenses.

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer

  1. contingent

    This term is applied to the quota of troops furnished to the common army by each member of a confederation of states; the proportion of troops or money furnished by each party to an alliance.

  2. contingent

    In the British service, the sum paid monthly to each captain of a troop, company, or battery, to defray the expense of stationery, the care of arms, and other minor demands. A contingent account is also the account, sent in by a staff-officer, of money expended for miscellaneous purposes.

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of contingent in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of contingent in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of contingent in a Sentence

  1. Alfred North Whitehead, N. Rose Mathematical Maxims and Minims, Raleigh NC:Rome Press Inc., 1988.:

    Let us grant that the pursuit of mathematics is a divine madness of the human spirit, a refuge from the goading urgency of contingent happenings.

  2. Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz:

    [Earnest] suggested that you should be invited to appear at the hearing as well, because you have some 'interesting insight' into the JCPOA [the Iran deal]. Therefore your appearance before the Committee would be contingent on Mr. Rhodes’ appearance at that hearing.

  3. John Kelly:

    This option gives students another way to demonstrate that they have mastered their course work without making the requirements for graduation contingent upon the outcome of any one particular test.

  4. Nafeesah Attah:

    Kent Fuchs really aggressively pushed me and put Kent Fuchs hands on me, and really took away that moment of me celebrating my graduation, it was directly targeted and contingent upon Nafeesah Attah race. There were other students prior to us going up there who were white who did back-flips and took selfies, who did a spin on stage and they were not handled in the same regard.

  5. Charles Baudelaire:

    Modernity is the transient, the fleeting, the contingent; it is one half of art, the other being the eternal and the immovable.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

contingent#10000#13558#100000

Translations for contingent

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

  • контингент, дял, условен, случаен, зависещ, пайBulgarian
  • Kontingent, Anteil, möglichGerman
  • ενδεχόμενοGreek
  • contingenteSpanish
  • مشروطPersian
  • mahdollinen, riippuvainen, ehdollinenFinnish
  • contingent, éventuel, hypothétiqueFrench
  • आकस्मिकHindi
  • 偶然Japanese
  • contingentDutch
  • до́ля, пай, кво́та, континге́нтRussian
  • avhängig, eventuell, oviss, andelSwedish
  • 隊伍Chinese

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"contingent." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 18 Dec. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/contingent>.

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