Main Entry: ¹emer·gent

Pronunciation: \i-ˈmər-jənt\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Middle English, from Latin emergent-, emergens, present participle of emergere

Date: 1593

1 a : arising unexpectedly b : calling for prompt action : urgent <emergent danger>
2 a : rising out of or as if out of a fluid <emergent coastal islands> b : rooted in shallow water and having most of its vegetative growth above water <an emergent plant>
3 : arising as a natural or logical consequence
4 : newly formed or prominent <emergent nations>