emergency
emergency
Pronunciation
/ɪˈmɜːrdʒənsi/ (Received Pronunciation - UK)
/ɪˈmɝːdʒənsi/ (General American - US)
Syllable Breakdown (General American):
e- /ɪ/ (as in "it")
mer- /mɝː/ (as in "bird")
gen- /dʒən/ (as in "jump" + "fun")
cy /si/ (as in "see")
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: emergency
Plural Noun: emergencies
Adjective (attributive): emergency (e.g., "emergency exit," "emergency aid")
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun:
Definition: A sudden, unexpected, and often dangerous situation that requires immediate action or attention to prevent or mitigate harm to people, property, or the environment.
Synonyms: crisis, exigency, predicament, dilemma, critical situation, urgency, crunch, strait(s)
Antonyms: routine, normalcy, stability, calm, tranquility
Definition: A department or area within a hospital or other facility that specializes in providing immediate medical care for urgent and critical cases.
Synonyms: emergency room, ER, casualty department, urgent care (though urgent care is often for less severe cases than an "emergency")
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for a specific department, but can be contrasted with) outpatient clinic, scheduled appointment.
Definition: A state of affairs declared by a government or authority, indicating a severe and widespread crisis (e.g., natural disaster, civil unrest) that necessitates extraordinary measures and powers.
Synonyms: state of emergency, martial law (in some severe cases), crisis declaration
Antonyms: peace, order, stability, normalcy
Adjective:
Definition: Relating to or intended for use in an urgent or unforeseen situation.
Synonyms: urgent, critical, crucial, immediate, standby, reserve
Antonyms: non-essential, regular, routine, planned, ordinary
Examples of Use
Books:
"The determination of an emergency can be made by HHS, Department of Homeland Security, or Department of Defense. The emergency can be a military, domestic, or public health emergency that affects, or has a significant potential to affect, national security." (Excerpt from "Emergency Use Authorization" on NCBI Bookshelf, published 2019)
"Irony has only emergency use. Carried over time it is the voice of the trapped who have come to enjoy their cage." (Lewis Hyde, Alcohol and Poetry: John Berryman and the Booze Talking, publication date unknown)
Manuals and guides frequently use the term, such as "Emergency First Aid Made Easy Book," which "perfectly complements shorter first aid courses." (Qualsafe Shop, published 2021)
Newspapers:
"Heavy Rains Trigger Destruction & Flood Alert. | Emergency. | Geo News 11AM Headlines. | 15 July 2025" (Geo News, July 2025)
"3 Delhi Schools Receive Bomb Threats, Prompting Emergency Services." (NDTV, July 2025)
"Australia declares east coast floods a national emergency." (i24NEWS, March 2022)
"Tharoor criticizes Emergency, Gandhis in article" (Times of India, July 2025 - referring to the period of emergency rule in India from 1975-1977).
Online Publications:
Ready.gov, a U.S. government website, offers numerous "Free Publications" including an "Emergency Supply List" and a "Commuter Emergency Plan" to help individuals and families prepare for unforeseen events. (Ready.gov, June 2025)
The Emergency Medicine Journal is an "international peer-reviewed journal covering pre-hospital and hospital emergency medicine, and critical care." (Emergency Medicine Journal, July 2025)
"Chemical Hazards Emergency Medical Management" is an online resource that "enables first responders, first receivers, other healthcare providers, and planners to plan for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of mass-casualty incidents involving chemicals." (Austin Community College, April 2025)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Medical dramas like ER, Grey's Anatomy, or Chicago Med routinely feature intense "emergency" situations in hospital settings, showcasing the fast-paced, high-stakes nature of emergency medicine.
Disaster films, such as The Impossible or San Andreas, depict characters grappling with an "emergency" on a grand scale, often involving natural disasters and the desperate measures taken for survival.
Video games like 911 Operator or Emergency 4 center around managing and responding to various "emergencies," from car accidents and fires to natural disasters and public order incidents.
Documentaries on platforms like Netflix or YouTube often cover real-life "emergencies" like the COVID-19 pandemic, wildfires, or major rescue operations, offering insights into the response efforts.
General Public Discourse:
"We had to call emergency services after the car broke down on the highway." (Common public statement referring to police, ambulance, or breakdown assistance).
During a sudden power outage, people might say, "It's an emergency, we need to find some candles and flashlights."
In discussions about climate change, activists and experts often refer to the "climate emergency" to emphasize the urgent need for action.
Following a sudden illness, someone might tell a friend, "I had to go to the emergency room last night."
10 Quotes Using Emergency
"There is nothing so strong or safe in an emergency of life as the simple truth." (Charles Dickens)
"Want of foresight, unwillingness to act when action would be simple and effective, lack of clear thinking, confusion of counsel until the emergency comes, until self-preservation strikes its jarring gong - these are the features which constitute the endless repetition of history." (Winston Churchill)
"One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency." (Arnold H. Glasow)
"Though force can protect in emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration and cooperation can finally lead men to the dawn of eternal peace." (Dwight D. Eisenhower)
"Our government has kept us in a perpetual state of fear - kept us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor - with the cry of grave national emergency." (Douglas MacArthur)
"Be Prepared... the meaning of the motto is that a scout must prepare himself by thinking out and practicing how to act on any accident or emergency so that he is never taken by surprise." (Robert Baden-Powell)
"My ideas have undergone a process of emergence by emergency. When they are needed badly enough, they are accepted." (R. Buckminster Fuller)
"The prizes go to those who meet emergencies successfully. And the way to meet emergencies is to do each daily task the best we can." (William Feather)
"The tradition of the oppressed teaches us that the 'state of emergency' in which we live is not the exception but the rule." (Walter Benjamin, On the Concept of History)
"Great emergencies and crises show us how much greater our vital resources are than we had supposed." (William James)
Etymology
The word "emergency" has an interesting journey from its Latin roots to its modern meaning.
It ultimately comes from the Latin verb "emergere," which means "to rise out or up," "to come forth," or "to appear." This Latin verb is actually a combination of two parts:
"e-" (or "ex-"), meaning "out" or "from"
"mergere," meaning "to dip," "to plunge," or "to sink."
So, literally, "emergere" meant to "rise out of something you were dipped in or sunk into." Think of something submerged in water suddenly popping up to the surface.
The word "emergency" itself entered English in the mid-1600s (around the 1630s). Its very first meaning was quite close to its Latin origin: "the act of rising out of a fluid or other surrounding matter," or "a sudden or unexpected appearance." For example, someone might have talked about the "emergency" of light from a prism.
However, almost immediately, the word also took on the meaning we're most familiar with today: "an unforeseen occurrence requiring immediate attention." This idea of something suddenly coming up that demands quick action quickly became the dominant sense, and it's the one that stuck around and evolved into our current understanding of a critical situation.
So, while its earliest sense was simply about something appearing, it quickly gained the added layer of urgency and the need for a rapid response because of that sudden appearance.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Emergency
In case of emergency: Used to refer to preparations or instructions for an unforeseen situation.
Example: "Keep this number handy in case of emergency."
Emergency services: Refers to police, ambulance, and fire departments.
Example: "The emergency services were on the scene within minutes."
Emergency exit: A door or other way out that is used only in urgent situations.
Example: "Please locate your nearest emergency exit."
Emergency landing: When an aircraft is forced to land due to a problem.
Example: "The pilot had to make an emergency landing after engine failure."
Emergency broadcast (system/alert): A public alert system for critical situations.
Example: "An emergency broadcast was issued, warning residents of the approaching storm."
State of emergency: A condition declared by a government in response to a major crisis.
Example: "The governor declared a state of emergency due to widespread flooding."
Emergency measures: Actions taken quickly to deal with an urgent situation.
Example: "The hospital implemented emergency measures to cope with the influx of patients."
Emergency fund: Money set aside for unexpected urgent expenses.
Example: "It's wise to have an emergency fund for unexpected costs."
Emergency aid/assistance: Help or support provided in a crisis.
Example: "International organizations rushed emergency aid to the affected region."
Emergency room (ER): The department in a hospital for immediate medical attention.
Example: "He was rushed to the emergency room after the accident."
Emergency contact: A person to call in case of an urgent situation.
Example: "Please provide an emergency contact number on the form."
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of emergency from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
