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)
Explanation
Something immediate is happening now or right away. If you're in immediate danger, you'd better run or call 911. Immediate is a word that pretty much means "now." If you take immediate action, then there's no delay. If you need immediate assistance, you can't wait for assistance. The related word immediately should be a clue, since it also means "right now." If something is happening later, or it happened a long time ago, or you have to wait for it at all, then it's not immediate.
Vocabulary lists containing immediate
"The Tragedy of Hamlet," Vocabulary from Act 1
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Unit 1: Ecological Systems
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 18
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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.
It tends to signal the rally still has room to run rather than that an immediate downturn is ahead, based on historical data.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026
When Secretary of War James Monroe proposed a system of national conscription during the War of 1812, the backlash was immediate and fierce.
From Slate • Apr. 15, 2026
Putting in longer hours on a single day was associated with higher sharpness, suggesting people can rise to immediate demands.
From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026
Ramaphosa's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed Meyer's appointment to the BBC, saying it would be "immediate".
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
Anything that looked urgent “was telegraphed in cipher to the Pacific Coast. If not of immediate importance it was forwarded by air mail.”
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
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.
