exigent
adjective
ˈeg-zə-
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Exigent is a formal word with meanings closely tied to its Latin forbear, exigere, meaning "to demand." Exigent things and people demand attention—for example, an exigent client expects so much that they are hard to satisfy, and exigent circumstances are so significant that they can be used to justify certain police actions without the warrant typically required. Before exigent joined the language in the early 1600s, the noun exigency was being used to refer to something that is necessary in a particular situation—for example, the exigencies of an emergency situation might require that certain usual precautions be ignored. That word dates to the late 1500s, but even earlier, in the mid-1400s, exigence was on the scene doing the same job. All three words—exigent, exigency, and exigence—continue to meet the demands of English users, albeit not frequently in everyday conversation.
Examples of exigent in a Sentence
Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 23 May 2025
Under exigent circumstances, such as if the public is at risk of imminent harm, a warrant may not be required for police to enter the school.
—Brian Boggs, The Conversation, 11 Apr. 2025
Under exigent circumstances, such as if the public is at risk of imminent harm, a warrant may not be required for police to enter the school.
—Brian Boggs, The Conversation, 11 Apr. 2025
That law does not tightly define the circumstances under which presidents may determine that an emergency exists, leaving them with essentially unfettered discretion to unlock exigent powers for themselves.
—Charlie Savage, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exigent
Cite this Entry
“Exigent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exigent. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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exigent
adjective
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