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Synonyms

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.


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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

conjunction

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

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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