exigency

noun ex·i·gen·cy \ ˈek-sə-jən(t)-sē , ig-ˈzi-jən(t)- \

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

Definition of exigency

plural exigencies

1 : that which is required in a particular situation —usually used in plural

exceptionally quick in responding to the exigencies of modern warfare
—D. B. Ottaway

2 a : the quality or state of being exigent

b : a state of affairs that makes urgent demands

a leader must act in any sudden exigency

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Examples of exigency in a Sentence

the exigencies requiring snap decisions that traders on the stock exchange face every day

Recent Examples of exigency from the Web

But there are also times when the exigencies of law enforcement and national security are in obvious conflict with the spirit behind sunshine laws.

— michael richter, WSJ, "The Public Has a Right to Know, but There Are Limits," 5 Apr. 2018
Longevity Insurance’ As all of the above suggests, even a substantial nest egg may not be able to cover all the exigencies of a blessedly long life.

— chris taylor, Fortune, "How to Invest for a 40-Year Retirement," 13 Dec. 2017
The very skills that made Ells so successful as a founder were not compatible with the new exigencies.

— james r. bailey, Fortune, "Commentary: Why Do CEOs Like Chipotle’s Overstay Their Welcome?," 19 Dec. 2017
Instead, Xi will make a political determination as to what works best, given the exigencies of the moment and his own long-term strategy and goals.

— chicagotribune.com, "Xi Jinping Is About to Face a Constitutional Crisis," 7 Sep. 2017
But atmospheric turbulence and optical exigencies often smudge the stars into bigger blurs.

— dennis overbye, The Seattle Times, "The eclipse that revealed the universe," 4 Aug. 2017
Ibsen keeps wines off menu, in reserve, on backup, to fill holes, accommodate seasonal exigencies, and broaden the range of his guests’ experience.

— patrick comiskey, latimes.com, "The wine program at Bestia keeps getting weirder, with white wines leading the way," 3 Aug. 2017
The exigencies of the time meant that the buildings went up faster than their performance could be assessed—or than improvements to their design could be implemented.

— ian volner, The Atlantic, "The Legacy and Lessons of Grenfell Tower," 19 June 2017
A bad workshop leader will likely make only cosmetic suggestions (change this word, move this line, etc., or as Nguyen suggests, be insensitive or unaware of the political or philosophical exigencies of the subject).

— New York Times, "Letters to the Editor," 12 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'exigency.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of exigency

1588

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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exigency Synonyms

Synonyms

boiling point, breaking point, clutch, conjuncture, crisis, crossroad(s), crunch, emergency, extremity, flash point, head, juncture, tinderbox, zero hour;

Related Words

contingency, possibility;

climax, turning point;

happening, landmark, milestone;

condition, pass, situation, strait;

deadlock, impasse, stalemate;

corner, fix, hole, hot water, jam, last ditch, pinch, predicament, scrape, spot;

eleventh hour, last minute;

Phrases

moment of truth, point of no return;

Synonym Discussion of exigency

juncture, exigency, emergency, contingency, pinch, strait (or straits) crisis mean a critical or crucial time or state of affairs. juncture stresses the significant concurrence or convergence of events.