Contingently

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Dependent on specific conditions or circumstances
2. Occurring in relation to particular situations or events
3. In a manner that relies on certain conditions being met before something happens

Etymology: "Contingently" is a straightforward formation: the adjective "contingent" with the suffix "-ly" added. The adjective "contingent" traces back through Latin "contingere," meaning "to touch, to happen," from "con-" (together) and "tangere" (to touch), an image of things coming into contact by chance. The suffix "-ly" is the old English ending meaning "in the manner of," which descends from the Old English "-līce," itself tied to the word for "body" or "form" (the same root as "like"). Put together, "contingently" means "in a manner dependent on something else," so an event that happens contingently happens only if certain conditions are first satisfied. The adverb is simply the adjective with the manner suffix attached, so its meaning follows directly from the adjective's sense of dependence on circumstance.

Synonyms: conditionally, dependently

Antonyms: unconditionally