/ kənˈtɪndʒənt; NAmE / noun , adjective
■ noun [ C +sing./pl. v . ]
1.
a group of people at a meeting or an event who have sth in common, especially the place they come from, that is not shared by other people at the event :
The largest contingent was from the United States.
A strong contingent of local residents were there to block the proposal.
2.
a group of soldiers that are part of a larger force :
the French contingent in the UN peacekeeping force
■ adjective
contingent (on / upon sth) ( formal ) depending on sth that may or may not happen :
All payments are contingent upon satisfactory completion dates.
► con·tin·gent·ly adverb
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (in the sense of uncertain occurrence ): from Latin contingere befall, from con- together with + tangere to touch. The noun sense was originally something happening by chance , then a person's share resulting from a division, a quota ; the current sense dates from the early 18th cent.