state of emergency

American

[steyt uhv i-mur-juhn-see] / ˈsteɪt əv ɪˈmɜr dʒən si /

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.

Etymology

Origin of state of emergency

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

New York City Mayor Mamdani declared a local state of emergency External link and said the city’s streets will be closed to non-essential traffic between 9 p.m.

From Barron's

He declared a state of emergency in the city.

From BBC

New York Gov Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for the whole state ahead of the nor'easter storm and activated about 100 members of the National Guard.

From BBC

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill also declared a state of emergency and halted service on the state's transit network at 1800e for all buses, light rail, and Access Link.

From BBC

Massachusetts, Delaware and Rhode Island have also declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm and Boston, Massachusetts, has also closed schools due to the storm.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023