1.a gathering of persons representative of some larger group;
each nation sent a contingent of athletes to the Olympics
2.a temporary military unit;
the peace-keeping force includes one British contingent
3.possible but not certain to occur;
they had to plan for contingent expenses
4.determined by conditions or circumstances not yet established;
arms sales contingent on the approval of congress
5.uncertain because of uncontrollable circumstances;
the results of confession were not contingent, they were certain- George Eliot