French Conversation · Level 85
60 words
French word
contingence
Pronunciation
IPA/kɔ̃tɛ̃ʒɑ̃s/
Meaning
- feminine nouncontingency
Example
On ne peut pas prévoir la contingence des événements.
The contingency of events cannot be predicted.
More examples
Il faut prendre en compte la contingence quand on organise un voyage.
You have to take contingency into account when planning a trip.
Core concept
A door left open by circumstances, with the event on the other side neither required nor ruled out.
Common phrases
prendre en compte la contingence
take contingency into account
faire face aux contingences
deal with contingencies
Similar words
hasard: An event that happens by chance.
coïncidence: The simultaneous occurrence of unrelated events.
imprévisibilité: The quality of being impossible to predict in advance.
Definition in French
Caractère non nécessaire d'un événement, c'est-à-dire sa possibilité d'advenir ou non selon les circonstances.
Word origin
French contingence comes through Medieval Latin from Latin contingentia, the noun formed from contingens, the present participle of contingere.
Usage tips
- In everyday French, "contingence" often sounds formal, while "c'est imprévisible" expresses the idea more naturally in ordinary conversation.