exigency
/ˈɛksɪdʒənsi/
noun
Origin
Latin
exigere — to demand, exact, or force out
Overview
Meaning Now
- An urgent need or demand; a pressing necessity.
- A problematic situation that requires immediate action or attention.
Literal older meaning
The state of being driven out or forced.
Language path
Latin → Middle French → English
Earliest form
exigence
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The word evolved from the Latin 'exigere', meaning to drive out or measure. In legal and administrative contexts, it came to refer specifically to the requirements or demands imposed by a situation.
Evolution
- Classical Latin
exigentia
“a requirement”
Noun formed from the present participle of exigere.
- Middle French
exigence
“urgency, requirement”
- Late 17th Century English
exigency
“a pressing need”
Added suffix -y to the existing form exigence.
Connections
Word parts
ex-
prefix
out
ig-
root
drive, act (from agere)
-ency
suffix
state or quality
Related across languages
French
exigence
requirement
Italian
esigenza
need or requirement
Related words
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Related to exigency
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.