What does arising mean?
"Arising" is the present participle of the verb "arise," meaning to come into existence, emerge, or originate. It is overwhelmingly used in formal contexts — legal documents, business reports, academic papers — where it signals that a problem, question, cost, or opportunity has emerged from a particular set of circumstances, as in "difficulties arising from the new policy." The phrase "arising from" or "arising out of" is a staple of contract language, used to link consequences back to their cause. A secondary, now largely literary sense refers to getting up from a lying or seated position. The word carries no strong emotional connotation itself; its tone is neutral and procedural, which makes it invaluable for precise, impersonal writing. It should not be confused with "raising" (lifting or increasing) or "rising" (moving upward), both of which describe upward motion rather than emergence.
Present participle of "arise": to come into being, emerge, or originate from a source or set of circumstances.
"Several ethical questions are arising from the rapid development of artificial intelligence."
Almost always followed by "from" or "out of" when describing origins; strongly associated with formal register.
Present participle of "arise" in its literal sense: to get up or stand up from a lying, sitting, or kneeling position.
"The congregation was arising from their knees as the hymn began."
Now chiefly literary or archaic; everyday speech prefers "getting up" or "standing up."
In legal and business English, "arising from" is one of the most common phrases in contracts — it's how lawyers trace every problem back to its source.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of arising
"Arising" derives from the Old English verb "ārīsan," meaning to rise up or come forth, formed from the prefix "ā-" combined with "rīsan," the ancestor of the modern verb "rise." The root traces further back to Proto-Germanic *rīsaną, giving rise to cognates across Germanic languages such as German "reisen" (to travel) and Dutch "rijzen" (to rise). The word has carried both its literal sense of standing up and its figurative sense of emerging or originating since Old English times.
Related word forms
How arising is actually used
Predominantly formal in register. In modern usage, "arising" almost always appears in the sense of problems, issues, costs, or questions emerging from a situation — frequently in legal, business, and academic writing. The literal sense of getting up is now largely literary or archaic.
Easily confused with arising
"Raising" means lifting something up or increasing it, while "arising" means coming into existence or emerging on its own.
"Rising" typically describes an upward movement or increase in level or position, whereas "arising" emphasizes something newly coming into being or originating.