emergent (/ɪˈmɜː.dʒənt/)

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adjective  ·  Advanced  ·  Science & Technology

🔊 /ɪˈmɜː.dʒənt/

Meaning

Meaning: arising from interacting parts

Something emergent arises newly, especially as a property of a complex system that its parts alone do not show. Speakers describe emergent behaviour in nature and markets.

Examples

🗣 Consciousness may be an emergent property of the brain.

Etymology

From Latin ’emergere’, meaning to rise out.

How & Where It’s Used

Used in talks on complexity, science, and systems thinking.

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Tags: systems, complexity

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