From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Contingent \Con*tin"gent\, a. [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.
[1913 Webster]
Weighing so much actual crime against so much
contingent advantage. --Burke.
[1913 Webster]
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.
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3. (Law) Dependent for effect on something that may or may
not occur; as, a contingent estate.
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If a contingent legacy be left to any one when he
attains, or if he attains, the age of twenty-one.
--Blackstone.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Contingent \Con*tin"gent\, n.
1. An event which may or may not happen; that which is
unforeseen, undetermined, or dependent on something
future; a contingency.
[1913 Webster]
His understanding could almost pierce into future
contingents. --South.
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2. That which falls to one in a division or apportionment
among a number; a suitable share; proportion; esp., a
quota of troops.
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From the Alps to the border of Flanders, contingents
were required . . . 200,000 men were in arms.
--Milman.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
contingent
adj 1: possible but not certain to occur; "they had to plan for
contingent expenses"
2: determined by conditions or circumstances that follow; "arms
sales contingent on the approval of congress" [syn:
{contingent}, {contingent on(p)}, {contingent upon(p)},
{dependent on(p)}, {dependant on(p)}, {dependent upon(p)},
{dependant upon(p)}, {depending on(p)}]
3: uncertain because of uncontrollable circumstances; "the
results of confession were not contingent, they were
certain"- George Eliot
n 1: a gathering of persons representative of some larger group;
"each nation sent a contingent of athletes to the Olympics"
2: a temporary military unit; "the peacekeeping force includes
one British contingent" [syn: {contingent}, {detail}]
From French-English FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.3.4 [fd-fra-eng]:
contingent /kɔ̃tɛ̃ʒɑ̃/
part; piece; share; share
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