emerge
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /ɪmˈɜːdʒ/
US
- /ˈimərdʒ/
- /ɪˈmɜrdʒ/
Description
- appear
- arise
- come out
- become known
To emerge means to come out and become known, visible, or important. Think of a butterfly coming out of its chrysalis: it was hidden away, and then there it is. It can also mean that a problem, idea, or situation starts to appear. You might hear about new evidence emerging in a mystery, or a trend emerging in fashion. Sometimes things emerge slowly over time, like a solution to a difficult problem.
The word suggests something appearing after being hidden or not fully formed. A politician's platform can emerge from years of community work, and a winning strategy might emerge during a tense game. Keep an eye on what is emerging; it often signals that change is happening.
To emerge means to come into existence or become apparent after being hidden, unknown, or undeveloped. It suggests a process of rising up from obscurity and becoming visible or significant. For example: "A beetle emerged from the wet soil after the rain," showing something physically coming out into view. Or, "The truth about the scandal began to emerge," suggesting details were gradually revealed.
Emerge isn't just about physical appearances. It can also describe abstract things like ideas, feelings, or trends. You might say "A consensus is emerging among scientists," meaning they are slowly coming to an agreement. Or, "A sense of hope emerged after the difficult times."
The context often dictates how something emerges. A solution might emerge from careful analysis, a leader might emerge during a crisis, and a pattern might emerge from data. It can be sudden, like flames emerging from a building, or gradual, like a flower emerging in spring.
Historically, "emerge" comes from the Latin word emergere, meaning "to rise up" or "come forth." This root gives you a good sense of its core meaning: something that was previously concealed is now becoming visible and active.
So whether it's a physical object, an idea, or a feeling, to emerge is to come into being, become known, or rise to prominence after a period of hidden development. It often signals change, discovery, or growth.
Examples
- 1
Weather
The sun slowly emerged from behind the clouds.
- 2
Crowd movement
When the concert ended, people began to emerge from the hall.
- 3
Investigation
New details started to emerge during the investigation.
- 4
Report findings
It later emerged that the report was incomplete.
Pattern
it emerged that + clause
it became known that something was true
- 5
Data analysis
A clear pattern is beginning to emerge in the data.
- 6
Job selection
She emerged as the strongest candidate for the job.
Pattern
emerge as + role/status
become known or recognized as that role or status
- 7
Business recovery
The company emerged from the crisis with a stronger business plan.
Pattern
emerge from + difficulty with + result
come through something and end up with that result
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- emergeverb
Forms
- emerging-ing formverb
- emergedpast tenseverb
- emergesverb