emergency — a serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action
Pronunciation (IPA): /ɪˈmɜːrdʒənsi/
Example Sentences
- My mom treats running out of coffee like a national emergency.
- The hospital emergency room was crowded with patients.
- For teenagers, a dead phone battery is considered an emergency.
emergency
NOUN[/ɪˈmɜːrdʒənsi/]
a serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action
The hospital responded quickly during the emergency situation.
Emergency teams arrived quickly and controlled the situation. (IMMEDIATE + URGENCY = EMERGENCY)
The emergency created urgency and required efficiency from everyone.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Latin 'emergere', meaning to rise out or emerge. The term originally described something surfacing from water, but evolved to denote any unforeseen situation that arises suddenly or unexpectedly.
Breakdown
e- (out) + mergere (to dip, plunge, immerse) + -ency (state or condition of). The prefix and root combine to mean 'rising out,' with the suffix forming an abstract noun denoting a state of sudden occurrence.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My mom treats running out of coffee like a national emergency.”
“The hospital emergency room was crowded with patients.”
“For teenagers, a dead phone battery is considered an emergency.”
“The pilot declared an emergency and made an immediate landing.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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