immediate
Americanadjective
-
occurring or accomplished without delay; instant.
an immediate reply.
- Synonyms:
- instantaneous
-
following or preceding without a lapse of time.
the immediate future.
-
having no object or space intervening; nearest or next.
in the immediate vicinity.
-
of or relating to the present time or moment.
our immediate plans.
-
without intervening medium or agent; direct.
an immediate cause.
-
having a direct bearing.
immediate consideration.
-
being family members who are very closely related to oneself, usually including one’s parents, siblings, spouse, and children.
my immediate family;
her immediate kin;
his immediate relatives.
-
Philosophy. directly intuited.
adjective
-
taking place or accomplished without delay
an immediate reaction
-
closest or most direct in effect or relationship
the immediate cause of his downfall
-
having no intervening medium; direct in effect
an immediate influence
-
contiguous in space, time, or relationship
our immediate neighbour
-
present; current
the immediate problem is food
-
philosophy of or relating to an object or concept that is directly known or intuited
-
logic (of an inference) deriving its conclusion from a single premise, esp by conversion or obversion of a categorial statement
Other Word Forms
- immediacy noun
- immediately adverb
- immediateness noun
- quasi-immediate adjective
- unimmediate adjective
- unimmediateness noun
Etymology
Origin of immediate
First recorded in 1525–35; from Medieval Latin immediātus; im- 2, mediate (adjective)
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.
The immediate impact of the U.S. strikes on oil prices may not be clear until Sunday evening New York time, when trading in Brent futures resumes.
He added that civilians would be in "immediate danger".
From BBC
"I call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation. Failing to do so risks a wider regional conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability."
From BBC
A government spokesperson said: "Our immediate priority is the safety of UK nationals in the region and we will provide them with consular assistance."
From BBC
While wells themselves are rarely the immediate constraint, analysts say processing plants, pipelines, and storage facilities in the region represent potential chokepoints because they are harder to repair quickly.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
