emer·gent
i-ˈmər-jənt 
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
1
: something emergent
2
a
: a tree that rises above the surrounding forest
b
: an emergent plant
Synonyms
Examples of emergent in a Sentence
Adjective
since the problem was not seen as emergent, implementation of the expensive solution for it was continually put off
Recent Examples on the Web
Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Nov. 2023
This is true in the sense that any emergent phenomenon is, by definition, difficult to predict based on the behavior of its simpler components.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 17 Oct. 2023
When Britain took control of Palestine following World War I, intellectuals in Gaza joined the emergent Palestinian national movement.
—Maha Nassar, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2023
To be a browser was arguably the defining pastime of the emergent middle class.
—Suzannah Showler, WIRED, 3 Oct. 2023
The role of algorithms is a key focus of emergent research on manufacturing consent online.
—Aarushi Bhandari, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2023
Yet panpsychism runs counter to the majority view in both the physical sciences and in philosophy that treats consciousness as an emergent phenomenon, something that arises in certain complex systems, such as human brains.
—Dan Falk, Scientific American, 25 Sep. 2023
He Jiankui, a young Chinese scientist known to his American colleagues as JK, dreamed of remaking humanity by exploiting the emergent technology of gene editing.
—Dana Goodyear, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2023
If their heart is not pumping, then start emergent CPR.
—Christopher Desimone, M.d., Ph.d. Mayo Foundation For Medical Education and Research, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2023
Taylor Lorenz, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2023
Realistically, experts like Jacobson see such hybrid models as the most practical application for wind power on ships, with wind ideally supporting emergent, clean-energy battery- and hydrogen-based technologies.
—Elissa Garay, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Oct. 2023
His criticisms managed to say what everyone has been thinking throughout 2023 about this emergent technology.
—Bywill Daniel, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2023
Researchers looked at data including more than 1 million patients who underwent one out of 25 possible common elective or emergent surgeries.
—Deborah Balthazar, STAT, 30 Aug. 2023
Artificial intelligence is now the superior technology, emergent technology, in achieving these objectives.
—Fortune Editors, Fortune, 14 July 2023
Then, in 2021, an emergent technology ushered Wood — and thousands of recording professionals like him — into an unexpected boom time.
—Bob Mehr, New York Times, 21 June 2023
At Factory Made, an emergent reading series named after Andy Warhol’s star-making studio, theatrics and personae count as much as poetry and prose.
—Mariella Rudi, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2023
Although LLMs have enough blind spots not to qualify as artificial general intelligence, or AGI—the term for a machine that attains the resourcefulness of animal brains—these emergent abilities suggest to some researchers that tech companies are closer to AGI than even optimists had guessed.
—George Musser, Scientific American, 11 May 2023
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Adjective
Atop Kathmandu Valley’s picturesque ridges lie the emergent destinations of Dhulikhel and Chandragiri, replete with hidden trails that are an unexpected alternative to Nepal’s more well-trodden and strenuous trekking routes.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Nov. 2023
This is true in the sense that any emergent phenomenon is, by definition, difficult to predict based on the behavior of its simpler components.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 17 Oct. 2023
When Britain took control of Palestine following World War I, intellectuals in Gaza joined the emergent Palestinian national movement.
—Maha Nassar, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2023
To be a browser was arguably the defining pastime of the emergent middle class.
—Suzannah Showler, WIRED, 3 Oct. 2023
The role of algorithms is a key focus of emergent research on manufacturing consent online.
—Aarushi Bhandari, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2023
Yet panpsychism runs counter to the majority view in both the physical sciences and in philosophy that treats consciousness as an emergent phenomenon, something that arises in certain complex systems, such as human brains.
—Dan Falk, Scientific American, 25 Sep. 2023
He Jiankui, a young Chinese scientist known to his American colleagues as JK, dreamed of remaking humanity by exploiting the emergent technology of gene editing.
—Dana Goodyear, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2023
If their heart is not pumping, then start emergent CPR.
—Christopher Desimone, M.d., Ph.d. Mayo Foundation For Medical Education and Research, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2023
Noun
Users pioneer emergent behaviors; hack together work-arounds, many of which lead to new features; give platforms their cultural relevance; and provide the steady flood of engagement that Silicon Valley leaders can monetize.
—Taylor Lorenz, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2023
Realistically, experts like Jacobson see such hybrid models as the most practical application for wind power on ships, with wind ideally supporting emergent, clean-energy battery- and hydrogen-based technologies.
—Elissa Garay, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Oct. 2023
His criticisms managed to say what everyone has been thinking throughout 2023 about this emergent technology.
—Bywill Daniel, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2023
Researchers looked at data including more than 1 million patients who underwent one out of 25 possible common elective or emergent surgeries.
—Deborah Balthazar, STAT, 30 Aug. 2023
Artificial intelligence is now the superior technology, emergent technology, in achieving these objectives.
—Fortune Editors, Fortune, 14 July 2023
Then, in 2021, an emergent technology ushered Wood — and thousands of recording professionals like him — into an unexpected boom time.
—Bob Mehr, New York Times, 21 June 2023
At Factory Made, an emergent reading series named after Andy Warhol’s star-making studio, theatrics and personae count as much as poetry and prose.
—Mariella Rudi, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2023
Although LLMs have enough blind spots not to qualify as artificial general intelligence, or AGI—the term for a machine that attains the resourcefulness of animal brains—these emergent abilities suggest to some researchers that tech companies are closer to AGI than even optimists had guessed.
—George Musser, Scientific American, 11 May 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'emergent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing emergent
Dictionary Entries Near emergent
Cite this Entry
“Emergent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emergent. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
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Medical Definition
emergent
adjective
emer·gent
i-ˈmər-jənt
: calling for prompt or urgent action
an emergent condition in a hemophiliac
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