What is a contingent liability?

A contingent liability is defined as a potential obligation that may arise based on the occurrence of a future event. This means that the liability is not certain; it depends on outcomes that have not yet happened. For example, if a company is being sued, the potential cost of the lawsuit is a contingent liability because it is contingent upon the result of the court's decision.

In accounting, contingent liabilities are important to consider, as they need to be disclosed in financial statements if the future event is possible (but not likely) or if the outcome could lead to significant financial implications for the company. They illustrate the uncertainty that organizations might face regarding their financial position, which impacts decision-making for investors and stakeholders.

The other choices describe different scenarios: a fixed obligation is a binding liability that must be paid, a definitely incurred liability suggests an obligation that is certain and recognized, while a liability that has already been settled denotes that no further obligation exists. These definitions do not align with the concept of a contingent liability, which is fundamentally tied to future uncertainties.