contingent
C1Formal
Definition
Meaning
A group of people or things forming part of a larger group, especially a body of troops or delegates.
Subject to chance; dependent on conditions or events not yet known.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Serves both as a noun (group, delegation) and an adjective (conditional). The adjective form is often followed by 'on/upon'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage patterns are largely identical. The word is equally formal in both dialects.
Connotations
Associated with diplomacy, academia, insurance, and military contexts.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in academic/legal texts. Common in news reporting about international delegations.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[noun] + be + contingent + on/upon + [noun phrase/gerund]a + [adjective] + contingent + of + [noun]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Plan for every contingency.”
- “A contingent of hope.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
A contract's validity is contingent upon shareholder approval.
Academic
The study's funding was contingent on the preliminary results.
Everyday
Our plans for a picnic are contingent on the weather.
Technical
In logic, a contingent statement is neither necessarily true nor necessarily false.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- The pay rise is contingent upon union agreement.
- Our attendance is wholly contingent on the train timetables.
American English
- The merger is contingent on regulatory approval.
- Funding for the project is contingent on a successful grant application.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- A small contingent of students went on the trip.
- The peacekeeping contingent arrived in the region last week.
- Our holiday plans are contingent on getting time off work.
- The government sent a large diplomatic contingent to the climate summit.
- The success of the venture is contingent upon securing adequate investment.
- The treaty included a clause making its renewal contingent upon a review of human rights progress.
- A contingent of experts was dispatched to assess the structural damage following the earthquake.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
A CONTINGENT of soldiers waits, their deployment CONTINGENT on the treaty's fate.
Conceptual Metaphor
UNCERTAINTY IS DEPENDENCE (The future is contingent on a web of factors).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'контингент' which can imply a quota or fixed number. The English 'contingent' as a noun is just a group, not a limit.
- The adjective 'contingent' (conditional) is very different from Russian 'контингентный'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'contingent of' without an article (e.g., 'He led contingent of soldiers').
- Misspelling as 'contengent'.
- Using 'contingent to' instead of the correct preposition 'contingent on/upon'.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'contingent' used as an adjective?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The preposition 'on' (or 'upon') is used almost exclusively, e.g., 'contingent on your approval'.
No, in modern English 'contingent' is only a noun or an adjective. The related verb is 'to be contingent'.
As adjectives, they are often synonyms. However, 'contingent' is more formal and often implies a specific, stated condition, while 'dependent' can be more general.
The related noun is 'contingency', meaning a future event or circumstance which is possible but cannot be predicted with certainty, or a provision for such an event.
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