contingent (plural contingents) An event which may or may not happen; that which is unforeseen, undetermined, or dependent on something in the future. synonyms From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English con ‧ tin ‧ gent1 /kənˈtɪndʒənt/ adjective formal depending on something that may happen in the future SYN dependent contingent on/upon Further investment is contingent upon the company’s profit performance. The meaning of CONTINGENT is dependent on or conditioned by something else. How to use contingent in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Contingent . When an event or situation is contingent, it means that it depends on some other event or fact. For example, sometimes buying a new house has to be contingent upon someone else buying your old house first. That way you don't end up owning two houses!
