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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Contingency \Con*tin"gen*cy\, noun; pl. {Contingencies}. [Cf. F. contingence.]
1. Union or connection; the state of touching or contact. ''Point of contingency.'' --J. Gregory.
2. The quality or state of being contingent or casual; the possibility of coming to pass.
Aristotle says we are not to build certain rules on the contingency of human actions. --South.
3. An event which may or may not occur; that which is possible or probable; a fortuitous event; a chance.
The remarkable position of the queen rendering her death a most important contingency. --Hallam.
4. An adjunct or accessory. --Wordsworth.
5. (Law) A certain possible event that may or may not happen, by which, when happening, some particular title may be affected.
Syn: Casualty; accident; chance.
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |