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urgency

n.
US //ˈɝdʒənsi// UK //ˈɜːdʒənsi// ur·gen·cy
  1. 1 importance and speed (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the quality of being very important and needing to be dealt with immediately.

    the quality or condition of requiring immediate attention or action. Uncountable in this general sense.

    Example

    The doctor spoke with great urgency because the patient needed surgery right away.

    Example

    The climate report added a new sense of urgency to the international negotiations, forcing leaders to reconsider their previous timelines for carbon reduction.

  2. 2 insistence (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    a strong feeling or way of speaking that shows you want something done now.

    the quality of being insistent or pressing in one's demands or requests.

    Example

    There was a note of urgency in her voice when she called my name.

    Example

    Despite the quiet setting, the urgency of his request was clear to everyone in the boardroom.

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  1. 3 medical need to urinate (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Medicine

    a sudden, strong need to go to the toilet that is difficult to wait for.

    a sudden and compelling physiological need to urinate that is difficult to defer. Often used in clinical contexts regarding bladder health.

    Example

    Patients with this infection often experience sudden urgency and pain.

    Example

    The clinical trial focused on medications designed to reduce urinary urgency in elderly patients suffering from overactive bladder syndrome.

    Usage

    Often appears in the phrase 'urinary urgency'.

Origin

From urgent + -ency or Latin urgentia.

Word family

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