What does "emergent" mean?

Emergent: Suddenly appearing; arising unexpectedly; Protection granted in emergent danger. Burke. Emergent year (Chron.), the epoch or date from which any people begin to compute their time or dates; as, the emergent year of Christendom is that of the birth of Christ; the emergent year of the United States is that of the declaration of their independence. -- E*mer"gent*ly, adv. -- E*mer"gent*ness, n. [R.]