contingency

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

contingency — 名詞

  • contingencysingular
  • contingenciesplural

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

1.名詞B2
釋義

應變；備案

未來可能發生的問題或狀況

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.

醫院董事會為裝修期間可能發生的任何應變情況預留了額外資金。

set aside funds for + contingency

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

Ama 的旅遊保險涵蓋海外旅途中發生的醫療緊急狀況及其他應變情況。

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

偶然性

依賴不確定因素的情況

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.

哲學家長久以來都在探討人類行為及其原因的偶然性。

contingency of + abstract noun

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

天氣型態的偶然性使得長期農業預測變得困難。

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.