exigency
English
Etymology
From Middle French exigence [1], from Late Latin exigentia (“urgency”) (from exigēns + -ia), from exigere (“to demand”).
Pronunciation
(General American) IPA(key): [ˈɛɡzɨdʒənsi]
Noun
exigency (countable and uncountable, plural exigencies)
- (chiefly in the plural) The demands or requirements of a situation.
- An urgent situation, one requiring extreme effort or attention.
Synonyms
- exigence
- necessity
- urgency
Related terms
- exigent
- exigenter
- exiguity
- exiguous
Similar words ending with -gency ("state, condition"),
- contingent -> contingency
- interagent -> interagency
- superagent -> superagency
- convergent -> convergency
- astringent -> astringency
- multiagent -> multiagency
- insurgent -> insurgency
- detergent -> detergency
- divergent -> divergency
- stringent -> stringency
- emergent -> emergency
- subagent -> subagency
- indigent -> indigency
- plangent -> plangency
- exigent -> exigency
- tangent -> tangency
- pungent -> pungency
- coagent -> coagency
- turgent -> turgency
- urgent -> urgency
- regent -> regency
- cogent -> cogency
Translations
urgent situation
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References
- “exigency” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2019.
Further reading
- exigency in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- exigency in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
- exigency at OneLook Dictionary Search