exigence

exigence

The doctor attends to the patient's medical exigence.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • Urgent need or demand: "exigence" refers to a situation that requires immediate action or attention; an urgent requirement.
    • State of urgency: It can also denote the quality or condition of being pressing or critical.
Usage Examples
  • (The urgent need of the crisis required immediate action.)
  • (The pressing demand for supplies becomes most important during war.)
  • (She reacted to the urgent situation with composed leadership.)
Advanced Usage

  • "the exigence of the hour": a phrase meaning the most pressing requirement at a particular time.

    • The exigence of the hour was to secure the building before the storm hit. (The most urgent need at that time was to secure the building.)

  • "exigence of circumstance": used in formal or philosophical contexts to describe the compelling force of a specific situation.

    • The exigence of circumstance forced them to abandon their original plan. (The pressing nature of the situation compelled them to change their plan.)
Variants and Related Words

  • Exigency (noun): a synonym meaning an urgent need or demand; more commonly used in modern English.

    • The exigency of the situation left no time for debate. (The urgent nature of the situation allowed no time for discussion.)

  • Exigent (adjective): describing something that is urgent or demanding.

    • The exigent task required all available resources. (The urgent task needed all resources.)

  • Exigible (adjective): capable of being demanded or required (less common).

    • Payment is exigible upon receipt of the goods. (Payment can be demanded when the goods are received.)
Synonyms
  • Emergency: a serious, unexpected situation requiring immediate action.
  • Urgency: the quality of requiring immediate attention.
  • Necessity: something that is essential or unavoidable.
  • Crisis: a time of intense difficulty or danger.
Related Idioms

  • "When exigence knocks": a rare, literary idiom meaning when an urgent need arises.

    • When exigence knocks, even the most cautious must act. (When an urgent need arises, even cautious people must take action.)

  • "The exigence of the times": referring to the pressing needs of a particular historical period.

    • The exigence of the times called for radical reforms. (The urgent needs of that era demanded major changes.)
Phrasal Verbs
  • None directly associated with "exigence" as a noun. However, the verb form "to exig" (rare) is archaic and means "to demand or require urgently."
    • The law exiged immediate compliance. (The law demanded urgent compliance — an archaic usage.)