immediately

American  

[ih-mee-dee-it-lee] / ɪˈmi di ɪt li /

adverb

1. without lapse of time; without delay; instantly; at once.

   Please telephone him immediately.

   Synonyms:

   forthwith

   Antonyms:

   later

2. with no object or space intervening.

3. closely.

   immediately in the vicinity.

4. without intervening medium or agent; concerning or affecting directly.

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conjunction

1. Chiefly British. the moment that; as soon as.

immediately British  

/ ɪˈmiːdɪətlɪ /

adverb

1. without delay or intervention; at once; instantly

   it happened immediately

2. very closely or directly

   this immediately concerns you

3. near or close by

   he's somewhere immediately in this area

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conjunction

1. (subordinating) at the same time as; as soon as

   immediately he opened the door, there was a gust of wind

Related Words

Immediately, instantly, directly, presently were once close synonyms, all denoting complete absence of delay or any lapse of time. Immediately and instantly still almost always have that sense and usually mean at once: He got up immediately. She responded instantly to the request. Directly is usually equivalent to soon, in a little while rather than at once: You go ahead, we'll join you directly. Presently changes sense according to the tense of the verb with which it is used. With a present tense verb it usually means now, at the present time: The author presently lives in San Francisco. She is presently working on a new novel. In some contexts, especially those involving a contrast between the present and the near future, presently can mean soon or in a little while: She is at the office now but will be home presently.

Other Word Forms

• quasi-immediately adverb
• unimmediately adverb

Etymology

Origin of immediately

A late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; immediate, -ly

Example Sentences

Netflix didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment and Rice couldn’t immediately be reached.

From The Wall Street Journal

A White House spokesman didn’t immediately respond to Barron’s request for comment.

From Barron's

The terms of the settlement couldn’t immediately be learned.

From The Wall Street Journal

It is not immediately clear whether any demonstrators have been arrested.

From BBC

“In a landscape where dating apps encourage efficiency and optionality, longing becomes a way of resisting closure,” writes one, and that yearning “allows feelings to exist without being immediately tested against reality.”

From Salon

Related Words

• directly
• forthwith
• instantly
• promptly
• rapidly
• shortly
• soon
• urgently