emergence
Americannoun
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the act or process of emerging.
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an outgrowth, as a prickle, on the surface of a plant.
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Evolution. the appearance of new properties or species in the course of development or evolution.
noun
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the act or process of emerging
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an outgrowth, such as a prickle, that contains no vascular tissue and does not develop into stem, leaf, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of emergence
First recorded in 1640–50; from French, from Medieval Latin; see emergency
Explanation
An emergence is when something comes into view — like the emergence of a seedling in a garden or the famous emergence of Punxsutawney Phil on Groundhog Day — which is supposed to show how soon spring will "emerge." Emergence is a noun that goes back to the Latin root emergere, meaning "bring to light," and it came into English in the 17th century. Just as something comes to light or shows up where there was darkness or nothing before, an emergence happens — like new technologies such as the emergence of e-readers. Pronouncing emergence is the same as pronouncing emergency but without the long e sound at the end.
Vocabulary lists containing emergence
Evolutionary Biology - Adaptation
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Content Summary 4.7: Early Modern Western Society and Culture
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Content Summary 1.3: Origins of Complex Urban Societies in the Ancient World
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He says that confidence has deep roots going back to the city's emergence as an economic powerhouse during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th Century.
From BBC • Jul. 5, 2026
As the picture rolls along, Garcia shows a more assertive side, relishing her character’s emergence from her shell.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2026
George Mason and other proponents of the Bill of Rights intended the First Amendment to prevent the emergence of an aristocracy—or what we would today call an oligarchy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026
The most straightforward explanation for its emergence is that, for big-box retailers, the 4th quarter of the financial year is the biggest and busiest, while summer tends to be quieter.
From Salon • Jun. 30, 2026
Wittingly or unwittingly, they found themselves complicit in the emergence of a penal system unprecedented in world history.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
