immediately
Americanadverb
-
without delay or intervention; at once; instantly
it happened immediately
-
very closely or directly
this immediately concerns you
-
near or close by
he's somewhere immediately in this area
conjunction
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They immediately cancelled the card and alerted the retailers.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
Maersk didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, which has played a key mediator role, said the ceasefire would start immediately.
From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the hackers requested a ransom not to release the information and whether the city paid one.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026
“And we could never get her to come out to dinner with us, because if she didn’t wash her dress immediately after her shift then it wouldn’t have time to dry before the next morning.”
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
