emergent

American  

[ih-mur-juhnt] / ɪˈmɜr dʒənt /

adjective

1. coming into view or notice; issuing.

2. emerging; rising from a liquid or other surrounding medium.

3. coming into existence, especially with political independence.

   the emergent nations of Africa.

4. arising casually or unexpectedly.

5. calling for immediate action; urgent.

6. Evolution. displaying emergence.

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noun

1. Ecology. an aquatic plant having its stem, leaves, etc., extending above the surface of the water.

emergent British  

/ ɪˈmɜːdʒənt /

adjective

1. coming into being or notice

   an emergent political structure

2. (of a nation) recently independent

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noun

1. an aquatic plant with stem and leaves above the water

emergent Scientific  

/ ĭ-mûr′jənt /

1. Rooted below a body of water or in an area that is periodically submerged but extending above the water level. Used of aquatic plants such as cattails, rushes, or cord grass.

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Other Word Forms

• emergently
  adverb
• emergentness
  noun
• nonemergent
  adjective
• reemergent
  adjective
• unemergent
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of emergent

1350–1400; Middle English (< Middle French ) < Latin ēmergent- (stem of ēmergēns ) arising out of, present participle of ēmergere to emerge

Explanation

If you have an emergent talent for science, your teacher might bump you up to an advanced science class. Emergent is an adjective that describes something that is emerging, or suddenly coming into existence. Emergent means “coming into being.” It's often used in phrases like “emergent technologies.” These are brand-new technologies that we can expect to be widely used in the near future. The Internet, for example, was an emergent technology in the early 1990s. Emergent sometimes implies that what is coming into being is surprising and demands a response. An “emergent disease,” for instance, would send scientists scrambling to find a cure. In this sense emergent is related to emergency.

Example Sentences

Bavarian Nordic, with $2.7 billion in 2025 U.S. revenue, and Emergent Biosolutions produce the two FDA-approved mpox vaccines.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

Emergent approved Kramer’s stock trading plan on Nov. 13, and his shares were sold throughout January and February 2021.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

I put out five volumes of that adventure called "Emergent Behavior," and if people are interested they can check it out on my website.

From Salon • Sep. 18, 2024

Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan, a nasal spray brand produced by the Maryland-based pharmaceutical company Emergent BioSolutions.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 29, 2024

Donne’s Devotions upon Emergent Occasions and Several Steps in my Sickness was published in 1624, and dedicated “To the most excellent prince, Prince Charles.”

From Letters to Severall Persons of Honour by Donne, John