émergentes

Émergentes is the feminine plural form of the French adjective émergent. It is used to describe things that are in the process of emerging or developing, and that are newly appearing or gaining significance. As an adjective, it functions descriptively and its precise meaning depends on the noun it accompanies. It is commonly used with feminine nouns to signal novelty or an early stage, although there are masculine equivalents for masculine nouns.

Etymology: the word derives from the Latin emergent-, from emergere, meaning to rise or appear.

Usage: the term appears across disciplines. Technologies émergentes designates technologies at the frontier—such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, nanomaterials, or new energy systems. Maladies émergentes denotes diseases that are newly identified or increasing in incidence. Mouvements émergents or cultures émergentes describe nascent social or cultural trends. Pratiques émergentes and industries émergentes are also common in economic and organizational discourse.

Notes: when the noun is masculine, the corresponding form is émergents (for example marchés émergents). Thus émergentes is specifically used with feminine nouns, as in technologies émergentes, énergies émergentes, cultures émergentes.

See also: émergence, émergent, technologies émergentes, maladies émergentes, mouvements émergents.