contingency

/kənˈtɪndʒənsi/ (bre, ipa) · /kənˈtɪndʒənsi/ (ame, ipa) · /kən-ˈtin-jən(t)-sē/ (ame, mw)

contingency — noun

  • contingencysingular
  • contingenciesplural

1. A possible future situation, especially an unwelcome one, that people or organis

1.名詞B2
釋義

A possible future situation, especially an unwelcome one, that people or organisations prepare for in advance so they are ready to deal with it.

例句

The hospital board set aside extra funds for any contingency during the renovation.

set aside funds for + contingency

Ama's travel insurance covers medical emergencies and other contingencies during overseas trips.

cover contingencies

同義詞
  • eventuality

    very similar in meaning; 'eventuality' is even more formal and slightly rarer, often used in legal or policy writing

  • possibility

    broader — 'possibility' can be welcome or neutral; 'contingency' usually implies a problematic outcome

  • emergency

    narrower — 'emergency' implies immediate danger; 'contingency' includes mild disruptions too

文法句型

contingency + noun

contingency for + noun phrase

用法筆記

The countable noun almost always appears in planning contexts — 'contingency plan' and 'contingency fund' are the most common compound forms.

常見錯誤

❌We need a back-up plan for any emergency that might arise during the project.
✅We need a contingency plan for any problem that might arise during the project.
💡'contingency' covers any possible future issue, while 'emergency' only refers to urgent, dangerous situations.

2. The condition of depending on events that are not under your control, so that re

2.名詞C1
釋義

The condition of depending on events that are not under your control, so that results cannot be predicted with certainty.

例句

Philosophers have long debated the contingency of human actions and their causes.

contingency of + abstract noun

The contingency of weather patterns makes long-term farming projections difficult.

同義詞
  • dependence

    neutral — 'dependence' does not carry the same implication of chance; it can refer to predictable reliance too

  • uncertainty

    overlapping — 'uncertainty' is broader and does not specifically imply that one thing depends on another

反義詞
  • certainty

    the opposite state — if something is certain, it does not depend on chance

  • necessity

    in philosophy, the opposite of contingency is necessity (what must happen)

文法句型

contingency of + noun phrase

contingency of [A] on [B]

用法筆記

As an uncountable noun, this sense is restricted to formal and academic registers, particularly in philosophy and theoretical discussions of causality.

常見錯誤

❌The contingency of the result is certain and predictable.
✅The contingency of the result means it depends entirely on factors beyond our control.
💡'contingency' is about dependence and uncertainty, not certainty.