contingent 1 of 2

noun

Definition of contingentnext
1
as in delegation
a body of persons chosen as representatives of a larger group the local Scout troop traditionally sends a large contingent to the jamboree

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in possibility
something that might happen officials in charge of managing the national emergency tried to prepare for every contingent, no matter how improbable

Synonyms & Similar Words

contingent

2 of 2

adjective

1
as in random

Related Words

Dissimilar Words
2
as in probable

Related Words

Dissimilar Words
3
as in relative

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Dissimilar Words
4
as in conditional

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Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective contingent differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of contingent are accidental, casual, and fortuitous. While all these words mean "not amenable to planning or prediction," contingent suggests possibility of happening but stresses uncertainty and dependence on other future events for existence or occurrence.

the contingent effects of the proposed law

When could accidental be used to replace contingent?

The synonyms accidental and contingent are sometimes interchangeable, but accidental stresses chance.

any resemblance to actual persons is entirely accidental

When would casual be a good substitute for contingent?

While the synonyms casual and contingent are close in meaning, casual stresses lack of real or apparent premeditation or intent.

a casual encounter with a stranger

When might fortuitous be a better fit than contingent?

Although the words fortuitous and contingent have much in common, fortuitous so strongly suggests chance that it often connotes entire absence of cause.

a series of fortuitous events

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of contingent
Noun
The rest of the camp’s Spanish contingent would join in with the football matches and watched the final, but the passion was not the same. — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026 As much as one-third of the population remained loyal to King George III and at times during the war loyalist Americans were the biggest contingent of troops in the British forces. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
Adjective
The increase is contingent on approval from the Postal Regulatory Commission. — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026 Atrium Health has also said portions of the broader plan remain contingent on agreements with Fulton County regarding support for Morehouse Medicine's ambulatory care network. — Jamal Goss, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for contingent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contingent
  1. delegation
  2. possibility
  3. random
  4. probable
  5. relative
  6. conditional
  7. event
  8. inadvertent
Noun
  • Thousands of homes were destroyed by the disaster, David Fisher, the Nepal delegation head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told reporters in Geneva on Friday.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Khaled stood in front of a currency exchange kiosk with Chloë, his co-organizer for the delegation.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of delegation
Noun
  • There are enough winnable games on the schedule that 6-6 with a bowl berth is a real possibility.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The possibility of such a sideways optical force had already been predicted theoretically.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of possibility
Adjective
  • This horror movie mostly just smelled of fake fog from a community theater production and occasionally you were startled by random bursts of air, once again pulling you from the events on screen.
    — Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • One episode explores several years in the life of a random Jason variant who simply tries to build a life for himself in a quiet world.
    — Andrew Webster, The Verge, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of random
Adjective
  • That description equally well applies to our probable timeline on this planet, the way things are progressing.
    — Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The more probable future is a heterogeneous computing environment where classical high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and quantum processors collaborate.
    — Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of probable
Adjective
  • Paramount brass resisted casting a relative unknown named Al Pacino, whose only previous starring film role was as a junkie in The Panic in Needle Park.
    — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Even after selling the team 10 months ago, morphing the Lakers from a relative mom-and-pop shop to a massive corporation, the presence of the Buss family still couldn’t be missed.
    — Marcus Thompson II, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of relative
Adjective
  • The agreement includes a payment of up to $18 billion, part of which is tied to conditional action by other social media giants.
    — Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Tourbineau had been seeking a lot-line adjustment, as well as a conditional use permit for mini-storage and design review.
    — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of conditional
Noun
  • More details on where the event will be held, who will speak and what makes the slate are due out in the coming weeks.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
  • On its call with investors, management said the conference sold out in early August and is its largest pipeline-generation event of the year.
    — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of event
Adjective
  • Instead, with an inadvertent point of his right index finger, Espada accidentally removed him from the game.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • OpenAI’s inadvertent hack of Hugging Face saw its model fire off as many as 300 actions an hour, and a single agent can spawn sub-agents that make tool calls of their own.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of inadvertent

Phrases Containing contingent

Browse Nearby Words

contingency
contingent
contingent (on or upon)
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Cite this Entry

“Contingent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contingent. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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