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Continent vs Contingent - What's the difference?

continent | contingent |

As nouns the difference between continent and contingent

is that continent is land (as opposed to the water) while contingent is an event which may or may not happen; that which is unforeseen, undetermined, or dependent on something future; a contingency.

As adjectives the difference between continent and contingent

is that continent is exercising self-restraint; controlled, temperate with respect to one's bodily needs or passions, especially sex while contingent is possible or liable, but not certain to occur; incidental; casual.

As a proper noun Continent

is the Old World.

continent

Etymology 1

From (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • (obsolete) Land (as opposed to the water).
  • * 1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , III.v:
  • The carkas with the streame was carried downe, / But th'head fell backeward on the continent .
  • A large contiguous landmass considered independent of its islands, peninsulas etc. Specifically, the Old World continent of Europe–Asia–Africa. See the Continent.
  • Each of the main continuous land-masses on the earth's surface, now generally regarded as seven in number, including their related islands, continental shelves etc.
  • Derived terms
    * the Continent * continental * supercontinent
    See also
    *
    Hyponyms
    * Africa * America * Antarctica * Asia * Australia * Europe * Eurasia * Gondwana * Laurasia * North America * Oceania * Pangaea * South America

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) continent, from (etyl) .

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Exercising self-restraint; controlled, temperate with respect to one's bodily needs or passions, especially sex.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Have a continent forbearance till the speed of his rage goes slower.
  • * 2009 , (Diarmaid MacCulloch), A History of Christianity , Penguin 2010, p. 119:
  • A celibate himself, he was of the opinion that marriage was something of a concession to human frailty, to save from fornication those who could not be continent , so it was better to marry than to burn with lust.
  • Not interrupted; connected; continuous.
  • a continent fever
  • * Berrewood
  • The northeast part of Asia is, if not continent with the west side of America, yet certainly it is the least disjoined by sea of all that coast.
  • (obsolete) Serving to restrain or limit; restraining; opposing.
  • (Shakespeare)
    Antonyms
    * incontinent

    contingent

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An event which may or may not happen; that which is unforeseen, undetermined, or dependent on something future; a contingency.
  • That which falls to one in a division or apportionment among a number; a suitable share; proportion;
  • a quota of troops.
  • * 2014 , Ian Black, " Courts kept busy as Jordan works to crush support for Isis", The Guardian , 27 November 2014:
  • Arrests and prosecutions intensified after Isis captured Mosul in June, but the groundwork had been laid by an earlier amendment to Jordan’s anti-terrorism law. It is estimated that 2,000 Jordanians have fought and 250 of them have died in Syria – making them the third largest Arab contingent in Isis after Saudi Arabians and Tunisians.

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Possible or liable, but not certain to occur; incidental; casual.
  • (with upon ) Dependent on something that is undetermined or unknown.
  • The success of his undertaking is contingent upon events which he can not control.
  • Dependent on something that may or may not occur.
  • a contingent estate
  • Not logically necessarily true or false.
  • Synonyms

    * (possible but not certain to occur) incidental

    Antonyms

    * (possible but not certain to occur) certain, inevitable, necessary, impossible

    Anagrams

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