C# Is this method thread safe?

Question

Consider the following code:

Dictionary<string, string> list = new Dictionary<string, string>();
object lockObj = new object();

public void MyMethod(string a) {

    if (list.Contains(a))
        return;

    lock (lockObj) {
        list.Add(a,"someothervalue");
    }
}

Assuming I'm calling MyMethod("mystring") from different threads concurrently.

Would it be possible for more than one thread (we'll just take it as two) enter the if (!list.Contains(a)) statement in the same time (with a few CPU cycles differences), both threads get evaluated as false and one thread enters the critical region while another gets locked outside, so the second thread enters and add "mystring" to the list again after the first thread exits, resulting in the dictionary trying to add a duplicate key?

Answer 1

No, it's not thread-safe. You need the lock around the list.Contains too as it is possible for a thread to be switched out and back in again between the the if test and adding the data. Another thread may have added data in the meantime.