emerge

[ih-murj]

verb (used without object)

emerged, emerging 

1. to come forth into view or notice, as from concealment or obscurity.

   a ghost emerging from the grave;

   a ship emerging from the fog.

2. to rise or come forth from or as if from water or other liquid.

3. to come up or arise, as a question or difficulty.

4. to come into existence; develop.

5. to rise, as from an inferior or unfortunate state or condition.

emerge

/ ɪˈmɜːdʒ /

verb

1. to come up to the surface of or rise from water or other liquid

2. to come into view, as from concealment or obscurity

   he emerged from the cave

3. (foll by from) to come out (of) or live (through a difficult experience)

   he emerged from his ordeal with dignity

4. to become apparent

   several interesting things emerged from the report

Other Word Forms

• emerging adjective
• reemerge verb (used without object)
• unemerged adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of emerge¹

First recorded in 1630–40; from Latin ēmergere “to arise out of,” equivalent to ē- e- ¹ + mergere “to dive, sink”

Word History and Origins

Origin of emerge¹

C17: from Latin ēmergere to rise up from, from mergere to dip

Example Sentences

Founded in 1946, the CDC tracks emerging infectious diseases like Covid and is also tasked with tackling long-term or chronic conditions such as heart disease and cancer.

From BBC

Rare are the characters who emerge on the other side of a story in which they betray a vulnerable figure – for entirely logical reasons, mind you – and still be loved by the audience.

From Salon

The clearest emerging litmus test is opposition to sending offensive weapons, but other issues could loom large in Democratic primaries, including recognizing a Palestinian state and allowing international investigations of Israeli war crimes.

From Salon

The duchess emerged after a seven-week stay in hospital for what palace officials described at the time as "nervous exhaustion".

From BBC

“It’s something that’s been literally stamped out over the course of the Western gender binary that emerged from the Victorian era.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• appear 
• arrive 
• come up 
• crop up 
• develop 
• loom 
• materialize 
• rise 
• show 
• surface 
• turn up 

When To Use

What are other ways to say emerge?

To emerge is to come forth into view or notice, as from concealment or obscurity. How is emerge different from emanate and issue? Find out on Thesaurus.com.