Meaning & use

exigence

noun·Advanced

An urgent need or demand arising from a particular situation that requires immediate action.

See it in a sentence

The rising floodwaters created an exigence that forced the town to evacuate overnight.

In her speech, she identified the exigence that made immediate reform necessary.

A note on using this word

Exigence is common in rhetoric and writing studies, describing the problem or urgent situation that prompts a speech or text.

Words with a similar meaning

urgencynecessity

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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