emergence
noun
Simple meaning
The gradual beginning or coming forth.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
ihmurjuhnsSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ɪˈmɝdʒəns
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The gradual beginning or coming forth
“Figurines presage the emergence of sculpture in Greece.”
The act of rising out of a fluid, or coming forth from envelopment or concealment, or of rising into view; appearance.
The act of coming (or going) out; becoming apparent
The arising of emergent structure in complex systems.
The act of emerging
botany
An outgrowth from the surface, such as a prickle or wart, differing from hairs in arising from more than the superficial cells, and from spines in arising from a few layers only.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The gradual beginning or coming forth
Used this way, emergence is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“Figurines presage the emergence of sculpture in Greece.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “emergence of …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: emergence of …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use emergence
- “Figurines presage the emergence of sculpture in Greece.”noun
- “Not a day's difference between the emergence of the andrenas and the opening of the willow catkins.”noun
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Keep learning “emergence” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.
- Practice sentence writingWrite sentences with vocabulary and get instant feedback.
- Practice in contextAnswer short vocabulary questions drawn from real situations.
- Review vocabularyTest your recall and strengthen words over time.
- Practice typingType vocabulary in short rounds that draw from words you've learned and saved.
Want to type words like this one without looking at the keyboard? Each typing round draws from words you've learned, saved or need to review. Follow the free Learn to Type lessons and type your own vocabulary with confidence.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.