a gathering of persons representative of some larger group
"each nation sent a contingent of athletes to the Olympics"
a temporary military unit
"the peacekeeping force includes one British contingent"
An event which may or may not happen; that which is unforeseen, undetermined, or dependent on something future.
"The success of the project remains contingent on whether we secure funding before the deadline expires."
In plain English: A contingent is a group of people who are sent together for a specific purpose, often as part of a larger organization or mission.
"The troop contingent was deployed to secure the border region."
Usage: Use the noun form to refer specifically to a group of people sent abroad as part of an army or organization, rather than for abstract possibilities. When describing uncertainty in everyday speech, prefer synonyms like "conditional" or "dependent on circumstances."
being determined by conditions or circumstances that follow
"arms sales contingent on the approval of congress"
uncertain because of uncontrollable circumstances
"the results of confession were not contingent, they were certain"
Possible or liable, but not certain to occur.
"The success of the project remains contingent on securing additional funding before the deadline."
In plain English: Contingent means something that depends on whether another thing happens first.
"The success of our trip is contingent on good weather."
The word "contingent" entered English via Middle English and Old French from Medieval Latin. Originally meaning something that touches or happens by chance, it evolved to describe events dependent on uncertain circumstances rather than a fixed outcome.