immediate

American  

[ih-mee-dee-it] / ɪˈmi di ɪt /

adjective

1. occurring or accomplished without delay; instant.

   an immediate reply.

   Synonyms:

   instantaneous

   Antonyms:

   deferred, delayed

2. following or preceding without a lapse of time.

   the immediate future.

3. having no object or space intervening; nearest or next.

   in the immediate vicinity.

   Synonyms:

   proximate, close

   Antonyms:

   far, distant

4. of or relating to the present time or moment.

   our immediate plans.

5. without intervening medium or agent; direct.

   an immediate cause.

6. having a direct bearing.

   immediate consideration.

7. 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.

8. Philosophy. directly intuited.

---

immediate British  

/ ɪˈmiːdɪət /

adjective

1. taking place or accomplished without delay

   an immediate reaction

2. closest or most direct in effect or relationship

   the immediate cause of his downfall

3. having no intervening medium; direct in effect

   an immediate influence

4. contiguous in space, time, or relationship

   our immediate neighbour

5. present; current

   the immediate problem is food

6. philosophy of or relating to an object or concept that is directly known or intuited

7. 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

A spokesperson for Swansea University said it has been made aware of the situation and their immediate focus is on supporting students.

From BBC

If workers get the green light for a couple of extra days working from home, in all likelihood it would be coming from their immediate managers instead of the company’s top leaders.

From MarketWatch

Reflecting on Tuesday's match, Esposito added: "From a technical standpoint, everything went wrong. The team hasn't worked together enough. Rebuilding will require a long-term strategy, chasing immediate wins with rushed decisions won't succeed."

From BBC

The Australian government has announced a series of temporary measures aimed at easing immediate cost pressures, including halving fuel excise - a sales tax - and scrapping road user charges for heavy vehicles for three months.

From BBC

There was no immediate comment about the talks from Pakistan's foreign ministry and military when contacted by AFP, or from the Afghan government.

From Barron's

Related Words

• actual
• prompt
• urgent