contingency plan: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Formal, Professional
Quick answer
What does “contingency plan” mean?
A pre-arranged course of action designed to be followed if a primary plan fails or a specific, uncertain event occurs.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A pre-arranged course of action designed to be followed if a primary plan fails or a specific, uncertain event occurs.
A proactive strategy developed to manage potential future events that could disrupt normal operations or objectives, emphasizing preparedness and risk mitigation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or grammatical differences. The concept is identical in both varieties.
Connotations
Equally formal and professional in both contexts. Slightly more prevalent in American corporate and military jargon.
Frequency
Comparably frequent in professional and technical contexts in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “contingency plan” in a Sentence
The company has a contingency plan for [potential event: e.g., a cyber attack].We need to develop a contingency plan in case [undesired condition: e.g., the supplier fails].The contingency plan was activated when [triggering event: e.g., the system crashed].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “contingency plan” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- We must contingency-plan for the possibility of rail strikes.
- They spent the afternoon contingency-planning.
American English
- We need to contingency-plan for a network outage.
- The team is contingency-planning the launch event.
adverb
British English
- This was handled contingency (rare/non-standard).
American English
- They operated contingency (rare/non-standard).
adjective
British English
- The contingency planning meeting is scheduled for Tuesday.
- We reviewed our contingency protocols.
American English
- She is the contingency planning officer.
- Follow the contingency procedures outlined in the manual.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
A document outlining steps to maintain operations during a crisis, such as a key employee leaving or a market crash.
Academic
In project management or risk analysis research, a formally modelled response to projected variables.
Everyday
Less common, but used for personal events like a rainy-day plan for a picnic or a financial backup.
Technical
Used in engineering, computing (disaster recovery), and military contexts for specific failure scenarios.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “contingency plan”
Strong
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “contingency plan”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “contingency plan”
- Using 'contingency' as an adjective for the main plan (e.g., 'our contingency strategy' is correct, but 'our plan is contingency' is wrong).
- Confusing it with 'contingent' (a group).
- Misspelling as 'contingency plain'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it can be for any identified risk, from minor disruptions like a key person being ill to major events like natural disasters.
A risk assessment identifies and analyses potential risks. A contingency plan is the specific set of actions developed to respond to one of those risks if it occurs.
Yes, in professional jargon, 'to contingency-plan' (often hyphenated) is used, meaning to develop such plans. It is considered informal but accepted in business contexts.
Not exactly. 'Plan B' is more informal and general, often implying a simple alternative. A 'contingency plan' is more formal, detailed, and specifically tied to risk management for an uncertain event.
A pre-arranged course of action designed to be followed if a primary plan fails or a specific, uncertain event occurs.
Contingency plan is usually formal, professional in register.
Contingency plan: in British English it is pronounced /kənˈtɪn.dʒən.si plæn/, and in American English it is pronounced /kənˈtɪn.dʒən.si plæn/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Have a card up one's sleeve (informal, partial overlap)”
- “Hope for the best, plan for the worst (conceptual similarity)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a CONTINGENCY plan as a plan for a 'CONTINGENT' situation—one that is possible but not certain to happen. It's your 'just in case' strategy.
Conceptual Metaphor
PREPAREDNESS IS A SHIELD; THE FUTURE IS A DANGEROUS JOURNEY (requiring a map for detours).
Practice
Quiz
In which scenario is a 'contingency plan' LEAST likely to be used?