Skip to the word

Added 3 October 2026

emergency

/ɪˈmɜː(ɹ).dʒən.si/ noun

In Latin: subitum Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about emergency at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A situation which poses an immediate risk and which requires urgent attention.
Cardiac arrest is an emergency requiring medical attention.
The department of a hospital that treats emergencies.
A person brought in at short notice to replace a member of staff, a player in a sporting team, etc.

Origin

Borrowed from Medieval Latin emergentia, from Latin emergens, present participle of emergo (“to emerge, arise, come forth”), equivalent to emergent + -cy or emerge + -ency. Doublet of emergence.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word