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emergency

e·mer·gen·cy

emergency

 
 
pronunciation:
ih muhr jn si
features:
Word Explorer, Word Parts
part of speech: noun
inflections: emergencies
definition: a serious situation or sudden crisis that calls for fast action.
The flooding created an emergency for many families living along the river.
synonyms:
pinch
similar words:
accident, crisis, danger, extremity, hazard, peril, predicament
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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.