urgency
/ˈɜːdʒənsi/UR-juhn-see
UK form converted from the US by rule · unchecked/ˈɝdʒənsi/UR-juhn-see
Meaningthe quality of being urgent
Common meaning: need for quick action
Tap a word part to explore
- urgto press, push onLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1935 · scan
- encynoun ending: the quality or state of
Journey through time
- Latinurgeō‘to press, push on’
- Englishurge‘to push strongly’
- Englishformed in English from urgeurgency‘need for quick action’ · today
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Formed in English from urge + -ency.
Dictionary: Skeat (1898), URGE, p.677 · scan
Roots
- urgeō Latin “to press, push on”
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