Supervene

Quick meaning: Supervene is a verb meaning (intransitive) To follow (something) closely, either as a consequence or in contrast.

Meaning

(intransitive) To follow (something) closely, either as a consequence or in contrast.

More Meanings

1. To supersede.
2. To be dependent on an earlier event.
3. (philosophy, followed by on) To be dependent on something else for existence, truth, or instantiation.
4. To occur as an interruption or change to an existing situation.

Example Sentences

However, a national financial crisis supervened and work was stopped on the Surrey & Sussex Junction and the Ouse Valley lines, in the latter case never to start again.

The best work was after Bishops Stortford, as we attained 55 m.p.h. after Stansted, and were going well up the short bank when the Elsenham permanent way check supervened.

After such leave-takings, especially where something like a revelation takes place, there sometimes supervenes, I'm told, a sort of excitement before the chill and ache of separation sets in.

For instance, an idiosyncratic necessitist might claim that even if a river were not spatiotemporally located, it would still be ugly or beautiful in ways that do not supervene on anything else.

Word Forms

• supervenes
• supervening
• supervened

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include survene, wait, ensue, supervize, succeed, subvene.

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