How to use contingent in a sentence
40 example sentences · noun, adjective
Contingent means an event which may or may not happen; that which is unforeseen, undetermined, or dependent on something in the future. Example: “The success of his undertaking is contingent upon events which he cannot control.”
Examples of contingent by meaning
nounA quota of troops.
- 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.2014 November 27, Ian Black, “Courts kept busy as Jordan works to crush support for Isis”, in The Guardian
adjectiveDependent on something that is undetermined or unknown, that may or may not occur.
- The success of his undertaking is contingent upon events which he cannot control.
- a contingent estate
- The imposition of the death penalty should not be contingent on a particular jury's unguided understanding of a legal term of art.1989, Thurgood Marshall, “Dissenting Opinion”, in Watkins v. Murray
More sentences with contingent
- A propositional variable is typically a letter (possibly with a subscripted number) whose truth value is contingent upon some interpretation or valuation.From the entry propositional variable
- I understand that Mark Walter and Shohei Ohtani have an expensive contingent of public relations advisers.2024 April 6, David Gaon, “Letters to sports: The Times must stop offensive commentary”, in Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, Calif.: Los…. From the entry unasked for
- This year, two labradoodles, a pomsky and a corgi are among members the Central Florida contingent.2023 January 27, Patrick Connolly, “Meet the Orlando rescue dogs playing in Puppy Bowl XIX”, in Orlando Sentinel. From the entry corgi
- In the September follow-up, those significant gains looked much more contingent.2022 October 5, David Wallace-Wells, “Progressives Should Rally Around a Clean Energy Construction Boom”, in The New York Times. From the entry Ira
- The city was reinforced with a large contingent of Macedonian colonists and rapidly Macedonianized.2018, Richard A. Billows, Before and After Alexander: The Legend and Legacy of Alexander the Great, Abrams, →ISBN. From the entry Macedonianize
- We were quite a contingent and heartily greeted by the GI's.2009, Adam Gallo, 12 Oaks' (page 228). From the entry cinemobile
- Identity is thus unique because contingent, the cumulative product of ceaseless occurrences.2003, Roy Porter, Flesh in the Age of Reason, Ch.1, at p.7. From the entry self
- “Don, every town in America has a contingent that hates the gayfolk,” he said.1986, Stephen King, chapter 2, in It, pages 28-29. From the entry gayfolk
- A large banner proclaiming "Gay American Revolution" beckoned other gay marchers to join the contingent.1973 December 22, “Boston Tea Party”, in Gay Community News, volume 1, number 27, page 1. From the entry warmth
- Caribbean contingents can be relied on for color.2024 July 25, Jason Farago, “Why the Olympics’ Parade of Nations Is the World’s Costume Party”, in The New York Times, →ISSN. From the entry gele
- While being trapped in homes may have converted some folks into rewatchers, the contingent was strong even before the pandemic.2021 February 19, Travis M. Andrews, “Finding comfort in the familiar”, in Messenger-Inquirer, volume 147, number 50, Owensboro, Ky., page…. From the entry rewatcher
- These premises are not contingent or subject to qualification.2017, John Robert Barker, Disputed Temple: A Rhetorical Analysis of the Book of Haggai, Fortress Press, →ISBN, page 105. From the entry omnisovereign
- In this section I describe edge control as a phenomenon associated with the contingent (or unpredictable) nature of police-citizen interactions.2014, John P. Crank, Understanding Police Culture, page 174. From the entry edge control
- To the sizable antispace contingent in Congress, Nixon promised an earnest effort to "minimize technical and economic risks"2012, Matthew H. Hersch, Inventing the American Astronaut, →ISBN, page 144. From the entry antispace
- Path dependencies occur when the response to a turning point event or treatment is contingent upon the individual's developmental history.2009, Marvin D. Krohn, Alan J. Lizotte, Gina Penly Hall, Handbook on Crime and Deviance, page 70. From the entry path dependency
- A large contingent many wearing jerseys with Casspi’s name spelled in Hebrew turned out for a postdraft rally.2009 July 19, Howard Beck, “From Israel to the N.B.A., Missing the Hummus”, in New York Times. From the entry postdraft
- Facticities are thus contingent, they present themselves as simply "there."1985, Joseph S. Catalano, “The Immediate Structures of the For-itself”, in A Commentary on Jean-Paul Sartre’s “Being and Nothingness”…. From the entry facticity
- This archer of the Earl of Northumberland's contingent (centre) is shown without his 'Almain rivet', displaying instead the coat supplied to men of this contingent.2012, Martin Windrow, Osprey Men-At-Arms: A Celebration, Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN, page 108. From the entry almain rivet
- I was, if you will, the contingent phenomenon, a potential lurking in the unholy fug of a revelrous night spun out of control.2006, M. G. Vassanji, When She Was Queen, →ISBN, page 1. From the entry revelrous
- The Eastern ski tribe could confidently expect much ice underfoot while the Western contingent could expect much mashed potatoes around the ankles.1996 Spring-Summer, Morten Lund, “Skiing Down Those Golden Years with John Jay”, in Skiing Heritage Journal, page 7. From the entry mashed potatoes
- Even with the biconditional linking U-ness with Sloanes, it is possible to offer a contingent reading that expands the possibilities of error.1996, Philip Pettit, The Common Mind: An Essay on Psychology, Society, and Politics, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 207. From the entry U-ness
- If, as seems certain, the Hui Arii contingent intermarried with the local chiefery, this acceptance of the gods of the land would have been inevitable.1971, Bernice P. Bishop Museum Bulletin - Issue 79, (Please provide the book title or journal name), page 17. From the entry chiefery
- The Independence celebrations were coming, contingents of police had to be drilled and blancoed and starched before proceeding to Kuala Lumpur to represent the state.1959, Anthony Burgess, Beds in the East (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 604. From the entry blanco
- As the remnants retreated northward to Pengyang (平壤 Pʻing-jang), war was declared and a Chinese contingent from Manchuria went southward to that place.1943, Fang Chao-ying, “SUNG Chʻing [宋慶]”, in Arthur W. Hummel, editor, Eminent Chinese of the Chʻing Period (1644–1912), Washington, D.C.…. From the entry southward
- But as long as the folksy and brainy contingents stay on opposite sides of the dance floor, we can look forward to a lot more of this.2025 November 25, Adam Mastroianni, “Secrets of the ancient memelords: or: pedants 'n' pinheads”, in Experimental History [Substack…. From the entry folksy
- This ancient idea that the most "universal" (or, cough, American) story is one contingent on the problems of wealthy white, cis, straightfolk is very much still alive and thriving.2019 September 16, Joshua Young, “In the Spotlight with The Public Theater’s Emerging Writer’s Group”, in The Brooklyn Rail. From the entry straightfolk
- La Reina and her jetpacked warriors were the only troops to take to the skies, but they formed only a small contingent of Argent’s amassing might.2015, Alyc Helms, The Dragons of Heaven, Angry Robot, →ISBN. From the entry jetpacked
- Everything seemed contingent on this arrangement: the clowder under the sill, the kindle under the bed, the ventricle next to the sleeping child slowly repairing itself.2008, Carole Maso, edited by Bradford Morrow, Fifty Contemporary Writers, Conjunctions, From Mother & Child. From the entry kindle
- In this paper we have dealt with a very spinous issue such as the relation between the contingent and transcendent of human life and its meaning for politics.2006, Giuseppe Ballacci, “Rethinking Political Community From Neglected Places”, in European Consortium for Political Research, Joint…. From the entry spinous
- Capetown actually left Nanking on 21 September with a large contingent of refugees for Han-k'ou and only just missed the heavy bombing of the capital the following day.2006, Michael Calvert, edited by Jon E. Lewis, Shanghai (1937) (The Giant Book of Battles), London: Magpie Books, →ISBN, page 128. From the entry Han-k'ou
- Then around 2 pm, a detachment of Maratha irregular horse approached and engaged the allied contingent of Mysore horse that were riding forward outpost duty for the British.2003, Randolf G. S. Cooper, The Anglo-Maratha Campaigns and the Contest for India, Cambridge University Press, page 126. From the entry Maratha
- The Atafuans came to the festival with 40 songs, a repertoire that exceeded that of any other contingent, and they didn't have a chance to perform them all.1997 September/October, Melinda Lewis-Matravers, “Dancing the Story”, in Islands, volume 17, number 5, Santa Barbara: Islands Pub. Co.…. From the entry Atafuan
- What would happen, for instance, if I tried to unforget the whole series of accidental and contingent encounters through which I entered the dense landscape of the hills?1996, Kathleen Stewart, “Unforgetting: The Anecdotal and the Accidental”, in A Space on the Side of the Road: Cultural Poetics in an…. From the entry unforget
- Although the coalition was fragile, it was a signal achievement for the Tainui contingent and the main body of the hikoi to arrive at Waitangi on the same day.1987, Ranginui Walker, Jacqueline Amoamo, Nga Tau Tohetohe: Years of Anger, page 88. From the entry hikoi
- John Willment, a Ford distributor in Middlesex, imported a Holman & Moody-prepared Galaxie and – you may recall – let it loose among the 3.8 Jaguar racing contingent.1963, Car & Driver, volume 9, page 122. From the entry mop up
- He frowned, and sent snifts of snow and symptoms of rain that dampened the ardor of the golf contingent and made things murky and dreary outside.1914, “Progress in the Mvement to Promote the Brick Industry”, in The Clay-worker, volume 61, page 652. From the entry snift
Meaning of contingent
- noun An event which may or may not happen; that which is unforeseen, undetermined, or dependent on something in the future.
- noun That which falls to one in a division or apportionment among a number; a suitable share.
- noun A quota of troops.
Questions about contingent in a sentence
- How do you use contingent in a sentence?
- Contingent is used as a noun and adjective. For example: “The success of his undertaking is contingent upon events which he cannot control.”
- What is a short sentence with contingent?
- “a contingent estate”
- What does contingent mean?
- Contingent means an event which may or may not happen; that which is unforeseen, undetermined, or dependent on something in the future.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: contingent (page history and authors) and the entries each sentence comes from. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws chose the sentences, left out offensive ones and quotations older than 1900, and marked the word in each. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this page: “How to use contingent in a sentence.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sentences/contingent. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
