emerge

[ih-murj]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR emerge ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), e·merged, e·merg·ing.

to come forth into view or notice, as from concealment or obscurity: a ghost emerging from the grave; a ship emerging from the fog.

to rise or come forth from or as if from water or other liquid.

to come up or arise, as a question or difficulty.

to come into existence; develop.

to rise, as from an inferior or unfortunate state or condition.

Origin of emerge

1630–40; < Latin ēmergere to arise out of, equivalent to ē- e-¹ + mergere to dive, sink

Related formsre·e·merge, verb (used without object), re·e·merged, re·e·merg·ing.un·e·merged, adjective

Can be confusedemerge immerge

Synonym study

1. Emerge, emanate, issue mean to come forth. Emerge is used of coming forth from a place shut off from view, or from concealment, or the like, into sight and notice: The sun emerges from behind the clouds. Emanate is used of intangible things, as light or ideas, spreading from a source: Rumors often emanate from irresponsible persons. Issue is often used of a number of persons, a mass of matter, or a volume of smoke, sound, or the like, coming forth through any outlet or outlets: The crowd issued from the building.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for emerge

materialize, loom, develop, appear, show, rise, surface, arrive, derive, proceed, spring, originate, flow, emanate, stem, egress, gush, transpire, spurt, dawn

Examples from the Web for emerge

Contemporary Examples of emerge

With Big Eyes a lot of people, myself included, were glad to see you emerge from the rabbit hole that is the CG world.
Tim Burton Talks ‘Big Eyes,’ His Taste For the Macabre, and the ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel
Marlow Stern
December 17, 2014
A cynical old Chicago lawyer once described this as the theory that “out of the clash of lies, truth will emerge.”
Ferguson’s Grand Jury Bought Darren Wilson’s Story
Paul Campos
November 25, 2014
This fight looks like it will emerge as the major American wildlife campaign of the decade.
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear
Doug Peacock
November 23, 2014
It took decades for comics to recover and emerge as an adult art form.
The Insane Swedish Plan to Rate Games for Sexism
Nick Gillespie
November 20, 2014
Every night, they emerge from their roosts, taking to the skies on silent wings.
Bats’ Link to Ebola Finally Solved
Carrie Arnold
November 12, 2014

Historical Examples of emerge

There was just a chance that the beautiful songstress might emerge.
The Room in the Dragon Volant
J. Sheridan LeFanu
Of course, nothing of the old Davenport's was to emerge with the new man.
The Mystery of Murray Davenport
Robert Neilson Stephens
At the end of the fourth year, they emerge from the earth, and may be seen in great numbers in the mild evenings of May.
The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton
Had we better let them emerge from the door and then get them?
The Solar Magnet
Sterner St. Paul Meek
When we emerge from these dark periods we find ourselves to have advanced.
The Romance of the Soul
Lilian Staveley

British Dictionary definitions for emerge

emerge

verb (intr often foll by from)

to come up to the surface of or rise from water or other liquid

to come into view, as from concealment or obscurityhe emerged from the cave

(foll by from) to come out (of) or live (through a difficult experience)he emerged from his ordeal with dignity

to become apparentseveral interesting things emerged from the report

Derived Formsemerging, adjective

Word Origin for emerge

C17: from Latin ēmergere to rise up from, from mergere to dip

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for emerge

1560s, from Middle French émerger, from Latin emergere "rise out or up, bring forth, bring to light," from ex- "out" (see ex-) + mergere "to dip, sink" (see merge). The notion is of rising from a liquid by virtue of buoyancy. Related: Emerged; emerging.