contingent upon

Meaning

This formal prepositional phrase means 'dependent on' or 'conditional on.' It is widely used in legal contracts, job offers, and business proposals to indicate that one event will only happen if another event occurs first. It implies a strict conditional relationship.

Examples

• Our job offer is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check.

  Our job offer is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check.

• The merger is contingent upon approval from the regulatory board.

  The merger is contingent upon approval from the regulatory board.

• Funding for the next phase of the project is contingent upon reaching our Q3 sales targets.

  Funding for the next phase of the project is contingent upon reaching our Q3 sales targets.

• The final agreement is contingent upon both parties signing the non-disclosure agreement.

  The final agreement is contingent upon both parties signing the non-disclosure agreement.

• Whether we launch the product in Europe is contingent upon the results of the market research.

  Whether we launch the product in Europe is contingent upon the results of the market research.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ The contract is contingent to the client's approval.

  ✓ The contract is contingent upon the client's approval.

  The adjective 'contingent' is paired with the preposition 'upon' (or sometimes 'on' in less formal contexts), but never 'to'.

• ✗ Our success is contingent with your team's support.

  ✓ Our success is contingent upon your team's support.

  Using 'contingent with' is incorrect; 'upon' or 'on' is required to establish the dependency.

Related Expressions

Practice

• The acquisition of the startup is ___ securing additional venture capital.

  💡 conditional or dependent on

  Show answer

  contingent upon

• Your promotion is ___ meeting your performance goals this year.

  💡 depends on

  Show answer

  contingent upon