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Webster 1913 Edition


Contingent

Con-tin′gent

,
Adj.
[L.
contingens
,
-entis
, p. pr. of
contingere
to touch on all sides, to happen;
con-
+
tangere
to touch: cf. F.
contingent
. See
Tangent
,
Tact
.]
1.
Possible, or liable, but not certain, to occur; incidental; casual.
Weighing so much actual crime against so much
contingent
advantage.
Burke.
2.
Dependent on that which is undetermined or unknown;
as, the success of his undertaking is
contingent
upon events which he can not control
.
“Uncertain and contingent causes.”
Tillotson.
3.
(Law)
Dependent for effect on something that may or may not occur;
as, a
contingent
estate
.
If a
contingent
legacy be left to any one when he attains, or if he attains, the age of twenty-one.
Blackstone.

Con-tin′gent

,
Noun.
1.
An event which may or may not happen; that which is unforeseen, undetermined, or dependent on something future; a contingency.
His understanding could almost pierce into future
contingents
.
South.
2.
That which falls to one in a division or apportionment among a number; a suitable share; proportion; esp., a quota of troops.
From the Alps to the border of Flanders,
contingents
were required . . . 200,000 men were in arms.
Milman.

Webster 1828 Edition


Contingent

CONTINGENT

,
Adj.
1.
Falling or coming by chance, that is, without design or expectation on our part; accidental; casual. On our part, we speak of chance or contingencies; but with an infinite being, nothing can be contingent.
2.
In law, depending on an uncertainty; as a contingent remainder.

CONTINGENT

,
Noun.
1.
A fortuitous event; that which comes without our design, foresight or expectation.
2.
That which falls to one in a division or apportionment among a number; a quota; an equal or suitable share; proportion. Each prince furnishes his contingent of men, money and munitions.

Definition 2024


contingent

contingent

English

Noun

contingent (plural contingents)

  1. An event which may or may not happen; that which is unforeseen, undetermined, or dependent on something future; a contingency.
  2. That which falls to one in a division or apportionment among a number; a suitable share; proportion.
  3. (military) A quota of troops.
    • 2014, Ian Black, "Courts kept busy as Jordan works to crush support for Isis", The Guardian, 27 November 2014:
      Arrests and prosecutions intensified after Isis captured Mosul in June, but the groundwork had been laid by an earlier amendment to Jordan’s anti-terrorism law. It is estimated that 2,000 Jordanians have fought and 250 of them have died in Syria – making them the third largest Arab contingent in Isis after Saudi Arabians and Tunisians.

Translations

Adjective

contingent (comparative more contingent, superlative most contingent)

  1. Possible or liable, but not certain to occur; incidental; casual.
  2. (with upon) Dependent on something that is undetermined or unknown.
    The success of his undertaking is contingent upon events which he cannot control.
  3. Dependent on something that may or may not occur.
    a contingent estate
  4. Not logically necessarily true or false.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Translations

Derived terms

Related terms

Anagrams


French

Pronunciation

Adjective

contingent m (feminine singular contingente, masculine plural contingents, feminine plural contingentes)

  1. contingent

Noun

contingent m (plural contingents)

  1. quota
  2. contingent

Latin

Verb

contingent

  1. third-person plural future active indicative of contingō