emergent

1 of 2

adjective

emer·​gent i-ˈmər-jənt 

1

a

: arising unexpectedly

b

: calling for prompt action : urgent

emergent danger

2

a

: rising out of or as if out of a fluid

emergent coastal islands

b

: rooted in shallow water and having most of its vegetative growth above water

an emergent plant

3

: arising as a natural or logical consequence

4

: newly formed or prominent

emergent nations

emergent

2 of 2

noun

1

: something emergent

2

a

: a tree that rises above the surrounding forest

b

: an emergent plant

Synonyms

Adjective

• urgent
• acute

Examples of emergent in a Sentence

Adjective

since the problem was not seen as emergent, implementation of the expensive solution for it was continually put off

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

There’s no shared leadership, no emergent norms, no psychological safety—but also no fear or status dynamics holding them back. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025

This is a situation where inflation is now an emergent risk … and gold is the only game in town. —Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025

Noun

From there, Stamp's emergent screen career was off to the races. —Ryan Coleman Updated, EW.com, 17 Aug. 2025

In the Austin district, 50.2% of students are categorized as economically disadvantaged — a lower rate than most urban districts in Texas — and 31.4% are emergent bilingual, according to TEA data. —Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Latin emergent-, emergens, present participle of emergere

First Known Use

Adjective

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1620, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing emergent

• emergent evolution

Rhymes for emergent

• convergent
• detergent
• divergent
• insurgent
• resurgent
• serjeant
• urgent

Medical Definition

emergent

adjective

emer·​gent i-ˈmər-jənt 

: calling for prompt or urgent action

an emergent condition in a hemophiliac