exigency
UK[ˈek.sɪ.dʒən.si]US[ˈek.sɪ.dʒən.si]
n
An urgent need or demand that you must deal with immediately.
n
A difficult or urgent situation.
Morpheme Breakdown
exig
ency
exig
demand
ency
state or quality of
Etymology
The word 'exigency' originates from the Latin verb exigere, meaning "to demand, drive out, or measure precisely," which itself is a compound of ex- ("out") and agere ("to drive, do"). The core sense of driving something out evolved into the notion of pressing a demand or requirement. The suffix -ency, denoting a state or condition, was attached to form a noun describing the quality of being demanding. Over time, this literal meaning of a pressing demand evolved in English to signify an urgent situation or crisis that requires immediate action.
Analysis
Structure: exig (demand) + ency (state or quality of)
- exig: From Latin exigere (to demand, drive out), meaning "to demand" or "to require".
- ency: A noun-forming suffix from Latin -entia, indicating a state, quality, or condition.
Examples
The exigencies of war forced the government to allocate all resources to the military.
Financial exigency led the company to make drastic cuts to its workforce.
Nurses are trained to remain calm and prioritize tasks in the face of medical exigencies.