What does exigency mean?
Exigency is a formal noun describing an urgent need or pressing circumstance that demands immediate action. When officials speak of 'the exigencies of war' or 'fiscal exigencies,' they mean the unavoidable pressures and demands a situation imposes. The word carries a serious, weighty tone and appears most often in political, legal, military, and journalistic writing rather than everyday speech. It derives from the Latin verb exigere, meaning to drive out, demand, or measure precisely — the same root that gives us 'exigent,' its adjective form meaning urgent or demanding. Because it emphasizes necessity born of crisis rather than mere importance, exigency is useful when you want to convey that circumstances themselves have forced a decision. Its plural, exigencies, often refers collectively to the various demands of a complex situation, as in 'the exigencies of office.'
nounAn urgent need or demand; a pressing situation requiring immediate attention or action.
- An urgent need, demand, or pressing circumstance requiring immediate action.
- The state or quality of being urgent or critical; a condition of pressing necessity (often in plural: 'the exigencies of war').
"In the exigency of the storm, the town opened every shelter it had."
"The pandemic created an exigency that forced hospitals to rethink staffing overnight."
"The negotiators responded to the diplomatic exigency with unusual speed."
The plural is common and idiomatic, especially in the phrase 'the exigencies of,' referring to the multiple demands or pressures of a situation.
"The new prime minister learned the exigencies of governing within his first week."
Exigency and 'exquisite' both trace back to the same Latin verb for driving out — one word kept the pressure, the other kept the polish.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of exigency
Exigency comes from the Latin noun exigentia, formed from the verb exigere, meaning to drive out, demand, or measure thoroughly (from ex-, 'out,' plus agere, 'to drive'). The word entered English via French in the early 17th century, initially carrying philosophical senses before settling into its modern use for urgent demands. It shares this Latin root with 'exigent' and 'exaction.'
Related word forms
How exigency is actually used
Formal to literary in register, exigency appears most often in political, legal, military, and journalistic writing, frequently in the plural phrase 'the exigencies of...' to describe the demands imposed by circumstances. It carries a serious, weighty connotation and would sound stilted in casual conversation.
Easily confused with exigency
Exigent is an adjective meaning urgent or demanding immediate action, while exigency is the noun denoting the urgent need or situation itself.