as in urgent
needing immediate attention
since the problem was not seen as emergent, implementation of the expensive solution for it was continually put off
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Recent Examples of emergent
That soft power is largely an emergent property, rather than something that can be guided by a government.
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Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Kangaroos—like humans—are an unpredictable, emergent consequence of life’s evolution.
—Adam Frank, The Atlantic, 15 Dec. 2025
The exhibit doesn’t treat youth as a vague, wide-open expanse but instead focusses on the subtle transformations that begin just shy of the teen years—the new calibration of interiority and exteriority, the emergent understanding of independence and accountability.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2025
But the regulation of AI is still in early stages, and efforts to crack down on emergent technology have major gaps.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for emergent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emergent
Adjective
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And there is another urgent area requiring our attention.—
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The administration’s enthusiasm to improve America’s health has real, urgent promise.—
Adjective
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While these changes will impact the country as a whole, the effect here in Indiana could be particularly acute, environmentalists say.—
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On January 5, less than one week after Tatiana died at just 35 years old of acute myeloid leukemia on December 30, Jack honored her with several moving quotes—including one from Tatiana herself.—
Cite this Entry
“Emergent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emergent. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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