exigency

/ˈɛksɪd͡ʒənsi/

//ˈɛksɪd͡ʒənsi// noun

"exigency" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“exigency” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The demands or requirements of a situation.

Corpus desk

Index EN-exigency · exigency · English

exigency · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "E" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for exigency
PropertyValue
Headwordexigency
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɛksɪd͡ʒənsi/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “exigency” in English

exigencyranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

exigency is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɛksɪd͡ʒənsi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for exigency, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French exigence, from Late Latin exigentia (“urgency”) (from exigēns + -ia), from exigere (“to demand”). The correct English form is exigency, spelled E-X-I-G-E-N-C-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The demands or requirements of a situation.
  2. 2
    An urgent situation, one requiring extreme effort or attention.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how exigency appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. My business is with you, and you only. You should not have undertaken your office, unless prepared for its various exigencies.
  2. 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.

Etymology

From Middle French exigence, from Late Latin exigentia (“urgency”) (from exigēns + -ia), from exigere (“to demand”).

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "exigency"?
"exigency" is spelled E-X-I-G-E-N-C-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛksɪd͡ʒənsi/.
What does "exigency" mean?
As a noun, "exigency" means: The demands or requirements of a situation.
How do you pronounce "exigency"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "exigency" is /ˈɛksɪd͡ʒənsi/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "exigency"?
From Middle French exigence, from Late Latin exigentia (“urgency”) (from exigēns + -ia), from exigere (“to demand”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list