[f. next (see -ENCY), or ad. late L. urgentia. Cf. It. urgenza, Sp. and Pg. urgencia, and prec.]
I. 1. The state, condition, or fact of being urgent; pressing importance; imperativeness.
1540. Act 32 Hen. VIII., c. 48 § 6. If the importaunce or urgency of the cause … so require.
1594. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., I. viii. § 8. Only in case of so great vrgency.
1624. Impeachm. Dk. Buckhm. (Camden), 129. Alleadgeing the urgency of the present service.
1686. trans. Chardin’s Trav. Persia, 63. I told him the Urgency of my Occasions.
1793. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), IV. 96. The ascertaining of this point becomes a matter of present urgency.
1797. Mrs. Radcliffe, Italian, xi. The urgency of your circumstances.
1833. I. Taylor, Fanat., i. 7. There are … motives … of far greater force, and these … have a peculiar urgency in reference to the present moment.
1866. Geo. Eliot, F. Holt, xxv. I will not wait for the urgency of necessity.
1877. Erichsen, Surg., I. 13. The four cases of extreme surgical urgency.
b. spec. (See quot. 1884.)
1883. May, Treat. Parlt. (ed. 9), 383. By the aid of these rules of urgency, a serious political crisis had been overcome.
1884. Imp. Dict., IV. 529. In parliament, urgency is when, by a vote of three to one in a house of not less than 300 members, a measure is declared urgent in the interest of the state.
2. Pressure by importunity or entreaty; urgent solicitation; insistence.
1611. Cotgr., Importunite, importunitie, vrgencie, earnestnesse.
1735. Swift, Gulliver’s Lett. to Simpson, ¶ 1. By your great and frequent urgency, you prevailed on me to [etc.].
1782. Miss Burney, Cecilia, VII. iv. This confession … was torn from her by … [Delville’s] impetuous urgency.
1828. Lytton, Pelham, III. x. In spite of all the urgency and entreaties of my letters for a reply.
1882. T. Mozley, Remin. Oriel College, etc., I. Introd. 4. At his encouragement and urgency I stood for a Fellowship.
3. Stress of wind, weather, etc.
1660. Burney, Κέρδ. Δῶρον (1661), 12. There was never any tender nightingale so preserved in the urgencie of the weather.
1859. W. M. Thomson, Land & Book, I. 66. Neither heavy weights…, nor the importunate urgency of the wind, can sway it [sc. a palm-tree] aside from perfect uprightness.
4. Persistence, eagerness. rare–1.
a. 1677. Barrow, Serm., xvi. Wks. 1686, III. 184. And why with less expedition or urgency should we persue the certain means of our present security?
5. Impelling or prompting force or quality.
1816. Scott, Antiq., xxxvi. What she has told you … from no apparent impulse but the urgency of conscience.
1858. J. Martineau, Stud. Chr., 281. The urgency of desire and devotion.
1863. Geo. Eliot, Romola, II. xxx. The new urgency of this habitual thought brought a new suggestion.
II. 6. An urgent need or situation.
1647. May, Hist. Parl., II. i. 11. Collections through the Kingdom being too slow for such an urgency.
1695. Locke, Further Consid. Value Money, 58. The accidental difference … is sometimes (but rarely) two pence in five shillings, or somewhat more in great urgencies.
1820. Keats, Isabella, xxix. With sudden speed,… Because of some great urgency and need In their affairs.
1832. Rolls of Parlt., Index 467/2. Agrees to respite the Levy … for Two Years,… unless any Urgency should arise.
7. A driving or constraining impulse or motive.
1664. H. More, Myst. Iniq., xx. 76. Pinched betwixt the sense of poverty and quick urgencies of Devotion.
1822. Good, Study Med., I. 343. The patient … will still perhaps be tormented with … a perpetual urgency to expulsion.
c. 1830. Chalmers, Lect. Romans, lxix. (1840), 346. Evil might ensue from unbridled and unreasonable urgencies of talk upon this subject.
1883. D. C. Murray, Hearts, viii. A superstitious reverence for his guest’s genius, and its various urgencies.
8. pl. Earnest representations or entreaties; importunities.
1823. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1830), IV. 376. We … met, and after the urgencies of each on the other, I consented to undertake the task.
1877. ‘H. A. Page,’ De Quincey, xvii. II. 40. Books … to be returned, in answer to the urgencies of librarians.
1883. Miss Broughton, Belinda, III. v. Belinda,… despite the warm urgencies of the … strangers, retires in favour of her visitors.
III. 9. attrib., as urgency order, pledge, rate.
1883. May, Treat. Parlt. (ed. 9), 383. It became necessary to revive the urgency resolution of the 3rd February 1881.
1890. Lunacy Act, § 11. In cases of urgency where it is expedient … that the alleged lunatic should be forthwith placed under care and treatment, he may be received and detained … upon an urgency order.
1891. Pall Mall G., 7 April, 5/2. It is said Mrs. Cathcart is confined under an urgency order.
1898. Morley, in Daily News, 14 Feb., 3/7. The Press agencies … paid what is called an urgency rate—that is about, I think, twenty or thirty times higher than the ordinary Press rate.
1906. R. Whiteing, Ring in the New, 47. Taking in urgency pledges after the closing of the pawn-shops.
