Exigent
adj, noun ·3 syllables ·Moderate ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 Extremity; end; limit; pressing urgency. archaic
"Theſe Eyes, like Lampes, whoſe waſting Oyle is ſpent, / Waxe dimme, as drawing to their Exigent."
- 2 The amount that is required. archaic
"[H]is enterprise / Marked out anew, its exigent of wit / Apportioned, she at liberty to sit / And scheme against the next emergence, […]"
- 3 A writ in proceedings before outlawry. British, obsolete
"They also make forthe writs of executions, and of seifin, writs of super seders, for appearance to exigents"
- 1 Urgent; pressing; needing immediate action.
"2003, Working Group Report on Detainee Interrogations, U.S. Department of Defence Article 2 also provides that acts of torture cannot be justified on the grounds of exigent circumstances, such as state of war or public emergency, or on orders from a superior officer or public authority."
- 2 Demanding; requiring great effort.
- 1 requiring precise accuracy wordnet
- 2 demanding attention wordnet
Example
More examples"2003, Working Group Report on Detainee Interrogations, U.S. Department of Defence Article 2 also provides that acts of torture cannot be justified on the grounds of exigent circumstances, such as state of war or public emergency, or on orders from a superior officer or public authority."
Etymology
From Latin exigēns, present active participle of exigō (“demand, require”). Doublet of exigeant.
Related phrases
More for "exigent"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.