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
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
Time, 9 June 2025
In management literature, this aligns with the concept of emergent strategy, a process in which leaders begin with a broad objective but adapt their tactics as new information becomes available.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
What remain enduringly relevant are the book’s insights into the nature of design innovation, which Jencks described as analogous to biological evolution, a constant flow of emergent, divergent, and convergent streams.
—Glenn Adamson, Artforum, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for emergent
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Adjective
Slaveholders first developed the trope in the 1790s in their representations of the emergent nation of Haiti, framing it as a dangerous site of social experimentation and savagery where Black freedom would inexorably lead to white death.
—Time, 9 June 2025
In management literature, this aligns with the concept of emergent strategy, a process in which leaders begin with a broad objective but adapt their tactics as new information becomes available.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
Noun
Reactive transformation happens in response to emergent challenges that could disrupt existing business operations.
—Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
What remain enduringly relevant are the book’s insights into the nature of design innovation, which Jencks described as analogous to biological evolution, a constant flow of emergent, divergent, and convergent streams.
—Glenn Adamson, Artforum, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for emergent
Cite this Entry
“Emergent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emergent. Accessed 24 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
emergent
adjective
emer·gent
i-ˈmər-jənt
: calling for prompt or urgent action
an emergent condition in a hemophiliac
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