2. Of or pertaining to the main land of Europe, in distinction from the adjacent islands, especially England; as,
a continental tour; a continental coalition. Macaulay.
No former king had involved himself so frequently in the labyrinth of continental alliances.
Hallam.
3. (Amer. Hist.) Of or pertaining to the confederated colonies collectively, in the time of the Revolutionary
War; as, Continental money.
The army before Boston was designated as the Continental army, in contradistinction to that under
General Gage, which was called the "Ministerial army."
W. Irving.
Continental Congress.
See under Congress. — Continental system (Hist.), the blockade of Great
Britain ordered by Napoleon by the decree of Berlin, Nov. 21, 1806; the object being to strike a blow at
the maritime and commercial supremacy of Great Britain, by cutting her off from all intercourse with the
continent of Europe.
Continental
(Con`ti*nen"tal) n. (Amer. Hist.) A soldier in the Continental army, or a piece of the Continental
currency. See Continental, a., 3.
Continently
(Con"ti*nent*ly) adv. In a continent manner; chastely; moderately; temperately.
Contingence
(Con*tin"gence) n. See Contingency.
Contingency
(Con*tin"gen*cy) n.; pl. Contingencies [Cf. F. contingence.]
1. Union or connection; the state of touching or contact. "Point of contingency." J. Gregory.
2. The quality or state of being contingent or casual; the possibility of coming to pass.
Aristotle says we are not to build certain rules on the contingency of human actions.
South.
3. An event which may or may not occur; that which is possible or probable; a fortuitous event; a chance.
The remarkable position of the queen rendering her death a most important contingency.
Hallam.
4. An adjunct or accessory. Wordsworth.
5. (Law) A certain possible event that may or may not happen, by which, when happening, some particular
title may be affected.
Syn. — Casualty; accident; chance.
Contingent
(Con*tin"gent) a. [L. contingens, -entis, p. pr. of contingere to touch on all sides, to happen;
con- + tangere to touch: cf. F. contingent. See Tangent, Tact.]
1. Possible, or liable, but not certain, to occur; incidental; casual.
Weighing so much actual crime against so much contingent advantage.
Burke.
2. Dependent on that which is undetermined or unknown; as, the success of his undertaking is contingent
upon events which he can not control. "Uncertain and contingent causes." Tillotson.
3. (Law) Dependent for effect on something that may or may not occur; as, a contingent estate.
If a contingent legacy be left to any one when he attains, or if he attains, the age of twenty-one.
Blackstone.
Contingent
(Con*tin"gent), n.