state of emergency

[ steyt uhv i-mur-juhn-see ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a situation of urgent need for help and relief, brought about by a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other crisis, especially as declared by a governor, president, mayor, or other official:
As devastation from last night’s tornadoes continues to be assessed, the governor has declared a state of emergency in the three worst-hit counties.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of state of emergency¹

First recorded in 1955–60

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

A state of emergency has been declared in the Kirzhach district and residents of nearby villages have been evacuated.

From

That kind of grab-and-vanish justice is common in El Salvador, where a three-year state of emergency declaration made by an authoritarian leader claiming he’s cracking down on gang crime has suspended due process rights, imprisoning about 83,000 people, according to Amnesty International.

From

The IRS notes a few reasons why the agency might be seeing fewer filings this year, including that multiple states are in a state of emergency and have had the tax deadline for their residents moved to May; other people may have filed for an extension as well.

From

In 2022, El Salvador declared a "state of emergency" to combat gang violence, restricting rights like assembly and privacy.

From

No injuries have been reported by the Spanish authorities - and the state of emergency was lifted on Sunday morning.

From

Staten Island state of matter

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