contingent
Definitions
Dependent on something else that may or may not happen
视情况而定的，取决于……的
Happening by chance rather than necessity
偶然发生的
A group of people representing a larger body, especially of troops
（代表团、部队的）一队，分遣队
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedcon- (together) + ting- (touch) + -ent = things "touching together," i.e. coming into contact by chance. What touches you by chance is what merely happens to you — so contingent came to mean "dependent on uncertain circumstances": the deal is contingent on financing. As a noun it names a group sent to represent a larger one (a military contingent).
Root tact still carries 52 more wordsWhy It Means This
The leap from "touch" to "depends on" is the family's hardest. Trace it through chance: things that merely "touch together" do so by accident, not necessity. A contingent event is one that happens to occur — and so something is contingent when it hinges on such an uncertain event. The noun sense (a contingent of troops) is a separate development: a detachment "falling to" a larger force as its allotted share.
Usage Guide
- As adjective: almost always with on or upon — contingent on/upon something. Don't use "contingent to."
- Stress: con-TIN-gent, stress on the middle syllable.
- Noun vs adjective: the noun (a group/detachment) and adjective (dependent) are pronounced the same but used very differently — context tells them apart.
Example Sentences
- 1.
Your bonus is contingent on meeting the quarterly target.
- 2.
Final approval is contingent upon a successful inspection.
- 3.
A large contingent of volunteers arrived to help.