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nonemergent

nonemergent

1 6.6
Not needing attention right away
  • adjective
  • /ˌnɒnɪˈmɜrdʒənt/
: no urgente
  • She filed her nonemergent request for a refund, expecting a response within a few days.

Examples

  • The doctor scheduled his appointment for a nonemergent issue next week.

  • They are routinely scrutinized for accuracy, are comprehensive, and capture all nonemergent procedures performed in the main operating room of publicly funded hospitals in the province.

    Academic text (2012)
  • All patient wait times from nonemergent surgeries performed in publicly funded Ontario hospitals are captured.

    Academic text (2012)
  • Categories of medical care savings include emergency room visits for nonemergent needs, hospitalizations, skilled nursing, and outpatient physician office visits.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Patients in the hospital with nonemergent conditions waited longer for treatment.

Synonyms

non-urgent
vsnonemergent
1 3.7

Not needing immediate attention or action

adds that it also excludes sudden or unexpected events
nonemergency
vsnonemergent
1 3.6

Not urgent and does not need action right away

is used more broadly and not only for services or situations
noncritical
vsnonemergent
1 4.1

Not serious or urgent and not part of a dangerous situation

focuses on lack of immediate need rather than overall importance
nonacute
vsnonemergent
  • Specialized
1 6.1

A health problem or symptom that is not severe and does not need immediate treatment

relates to timing and suddenness rather than degree of severity

Antonyms

emergent
  • Specialized
6 6.8

Happening suddenly and needing quick action

How Urgent

critical
800 4.0
urgent
309 2.9
nonemergent
1 6.6
stable
467 2.3

Surface Forms

nonemergent positive

Morphology

nonemergent = emergent (transparent) = non + emergent

The negative prefix 'non-' straightforwardly negates the adjective 'emergent', yielding 'not urgent' in an obvious way.

Etymology

The word nonemergent comes from the prefix non- meaning 'not' and emergent from the verb emerge, which means 'to come out' or 'appear suddenly'. So a nonemergent problem is 'not sudden' or 'not urgent' and does not need immediate action, the opposite of a emergency.