exigent

Exigent is an adjective describing something that requires immediate action or attention; urgent, pressing, or demanding. It is often used to characterize circumstances that cannot be postponed without risk of harm or loss, as well as tasks or deadlines that demand prompt response.

Etymology and pronunciation: Exigent comes from the Latin exigent- meaning demanding, from exigere “to demand, drive out,” and entered English via Old French. It is typically pronounced /ˈɛɡzɪdʒənt/.

Usage and nuance: The term is common in both formal and technical writing. In everyday language, it can describe urgent needs or deadlines (an exigent deadline). In legal and administrative contexts, “exigent circumstances” refer to situations that justify actions that would normally require safeguards, such as a warrant, because delaying action could result in harm, imminent danger, or the destruction of evidence. Compared with synonyms like urgent or pressing, exigent conveys a stronger sense of external pressure or necessity arising from the situation itself rather than from personal urgency.

Related forms: The associated noun forms include exigency or exigence, meaning a state of urgency or an important demand. Exigency compounds phrases such as “exigent circumstances” or “exigent needs,” highlighting the conditional and time-sensitive nature of the situation.

In sum, exigent denotes urgent requirements arising from conditions that demand immediate consideration or action, with particular prominence in legal and formal discourse.