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emergency

e·mer·gen·cy

emergency

 
 
pronunciation:
ih muhr jn si
features:
Word Combinations (noun), Word Explorer, Word Parts
part of speech: noun
inflections: emergencies
definition: a serious situation or sudden crisis, usu. unforeseen, that requires immediate action.
The city must be prepared for fires, floods, and other emergencies.A heart attack is an emergency, and the affected person must be taken to a hospital immediately.
synonyms:
exigency, pinch
similar words:
accident, crisis, crunch, danger, extremity, hazard, peril, predicament, push
Word Combinations  About this feature
adjective + (n.)emergency acute, cardiac, dire, federal, hazardous, humanitarian, life-threatening, nearest, psychiatric, required, temporary
verb + (n.)emergency activate, convene, declare, dial, equip, handle, impose, invoke, request, respond, rush, undergo
(n.)emergency + verb alert, arise, brake, coordinate, exit, flash, land, permit, repair, shelter, supply
noun + (n.)emergency Help ambulance, drought, fire, firefighter, hospital, state
Word Explorer
See
  first aid
Word Parts  About this feature
The word emergency contains the following parts:
e- Latin prefix that means out, out of, away
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The prefix e- is an assimilated form of ex- used before roots beginning with certain consonants (b d, g, j, l, m, n, r, v). See ex-.
merge, mers Latin root that means sink, dip, dive
-ance, -ence, -ency, -ancy Latin noun-forming suffix that means state, quality, or act of
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The suffix group -ance , -ence , -ency , -ancy attaches to verbs and Latin verb stems to create nouns. The suffix -ance is usually attached to whole English words, whereas -ence is usually attached to roots: compare eloquence and acceptance . For most nouns ending in -ance , -ence , -ency , -ancy , there is a correponsponding adjective form ending in -ant, -ent.