Meaning & use
contingency
A possible future event or circumstance that cannot be predicted with certainty, planned for in advance.
See it in a sentence
The company kept extra cash on hand as a contingency against unexpected losses.
Good project managers build a contingency plan in case the original schedule slips.
A note on using this word
"Contingency plan" is a fixed collocation meaning a backup strategy for unexpected situations.
Words with a similar meaning
possibilityeventuality
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
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