emergent

[ih-mur-juhnt]

adjective

1. coming into view or notice; issuing.

2. emerging; 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.

noun

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

emergent

/ ɪˈmɜːdʒənt /

adjective

1. coming into being or notice

   an emergent political structure

2. (of a nation) recently independent

noun

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

emergent

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.

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of emergent¹

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

Example Sentences

Competition in the sector is clearly heating up although Flutter believes the growth opportunities and potential market are big enough to accommodate emergent players.

Read more on MarketWatch

The phenomenon is known as emergent intelligence—when simple machines, following only a few local cues, begin to organize and act as if they share a mind.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

As someone young enough to have witnessed Butler’s emergent days as a Nickelodeon and Disney Channel teen heartthrob firsthand, I’ll admit that I never quite understood the appeal.

Read more on Salon

Yet in time, the cattle ranchers fell victim to the emergent boom-and-bust pattern of the Southern California economy.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The Reuters news agency reported that a planned event involving the ship in Vietnam was cancelled after what the US embassy in Hanoi called an "emergent operational requirement".

Read more on BBC