exigency — English Dictionary

Noun

1. The demands or requirements of a situation which often demand immediate action.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • in-plural
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   My business is with you, and you only. You should not have undertaken your office, unless prepared for its various exigencies.

   More examples (1)

   No ordinary man could have escaped those frightful claws when Numa sprang from so short a distance, but Tarzan was no ordinary man. From earliest childhood his muscles had been trained by the fierce exigencies of his existence to act with the rapidity of thought.

   [...] but these details I am compelled by exigencies of space to hold over until next month.

2. An urgent situation, one requiring extreme effort or attention.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

Noun

1. a pressing or urgent situation

   Broader terms

   crisis

   Examples

   the health-care exigency

2. a sudden unforeseen crisis (usually involving danger) that requires immediate action

   Synonyms

   emergencypinch

   Broader terms

   crisis

   Examples

   he never knew what to do in an emergency

3. that which is required in a particular situation — usually used in plural.

   Broader terms

   necessity

   Examples

   The trench maps used in the Great War resulted from the exigencies of war.