urgency

noun ur·gen·cy \ ˈər-jən(t)-sē \

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

Definition of urgency

plural urgencies

1 : the quality or state of being urgent : insistence

2 : a force or impulse that impels or constrains : urge

See urgency defined for kids

Recent Examples of urgency from the Web

Experts such as physician Marilyn Howarth at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania disagree with the School District’s lack of urgency when made aware of asbestos hot spots.

— wendy ruderman, Philly.com, "New test: 10.7 million asbestos fibers on floor at Philadelphia elementary school," 6 June 2018
The urgency with which #MeToo was embraced, however, is what incentivized AMC to push Dietland up from a fall 2018 release to summer, according to Margulies.

— christopher rosa, Glamour, "The Women of Dietland Are Fed Up and "Fat"—And It's Glorious to Watch," 1 June 2018
For the follow-up album, was there a sense of urgency?

— chris payne, Billboard, "'Dizzy Up the Girl' 20 Years Later: The Goo Goo Dolls' Improbable Journey From the 'Cracks of Society' to the 'City of Angels'," 31 May 2018
Drivers rarely feel the need to use the bathroom during a race; the urgency usually is a result of such a delay.

— Indianapolis Star, "What Indy 500 drivers do if they have to use the bathroom during the race," 24 May 2018
When people are hungry, and especially when American people are hungry, the urgency of now is now.

— recode staff, Recode, "Full transcript: Chef José Andrés onstage at SXSW for Recode Decode," 10 May 2018
The administration’s urgency over Nafta is worrying U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

— siobhan hughes, WSJ, "Trump’s Message to Congress: New Nafta or No Nafta," 23 Apr. 2018
To instill a sense of urgency, managers sometimes post photos of babies above the manufacturing lines.

— erika fry, Fortune, "Critical Condition: Inside Pfizer’s Drug Supply Problem," 22 May 2018
The Barons, winners of three straight in league, have been playing with a sense of urgency.

— manny alvarez, latimes.com, "Fountain Valley pounds Huntington Beach, hands state’s top-ranked baseball team worst loss of season," 26 Apr. 2018

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

First Known Use of urgency

1540

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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URGENCY Defined for Kids

urgency

noun ur·gen·cy \ ˈər-jən-sē \

Definition of urgency for Students

: the quality or state of requiring immediate action or attention

“Let's get out of here!” he said with a sense of urgency.

Medical Dictionary

urgency

noun ur·gen·cy \ ˈər-jən-sē \

medical Definition of urgency

plural urgencies

: a sudden compelling need to urinate or defecate

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Spanish Central: Translation of urgency Nglish: Translation of urgency for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of urgency for Arabic speakers

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urgency

Definition of urgency

Recent Examples of urgency from the Web

First Known Use of urgency

URGENCY Defined for Kids

urgency

Definition of urgency for Students

Medical Dictionary

urgency

medical Definition of urgency

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