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Glite Dictionary
nonemergent

nonemergent

1 6.6
Not needing attention right away
  • adjective
  • /ˌnɒnɪˈmɜrdʒənt/
translation icon : 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

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
non-urgent
vsnonemergent
3.7

Not needing immediate attention or action

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

Not urgent and does not need action right away

is used more broadly and not only for services or situations
nonacute
vsnonemergent
  • Specialized
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
4 6.8

Happening suddenly and needing quick action

How Urgent

critical
917 4.0
urgent
337 2.9
nonemergent
1 6.6
stable
473 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.