exigency
Other forms: exigencies
Think of a mix of excitement and emergency, and you have exigency, a sudden, urgent crisis. The very word conjures up danger and intrigue that demand a cool head and an immediate effort at a solution.
Exigency derives from the Latin noun exigentia, which means "urgency" and comes from the verb exigere, meaning "to demand or require." An emergency situation, or exigency, is urgent and demands immediate action. Our lives are filled with exigencies, both large and small, from a child stuck in a tree to lightning striking your house to catastrophic river flooding. Each is an exigency — it's all a matter of perspective.
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a pressing or urgent situation
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a sudden unforeseen crisis (usually involving danger) that requires immediate action
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Vocabulary lists containing exigency
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After having a child out of wedlock, Hester Prynne is shunned by her Puritan community and forced to wear a scarlet "A" on her clothing — but Hester is not the only one who has transgressed. This classic novel explores guilt, sin, and hypocrisy.
Whether your soufflé collapsed or there's an asteroid headed for the Earth, one of these words is sure to fit every bad situation.