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
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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
Etymology
Origin of immediate
First recorded in 1525–35; from Medieval Latin immediātus; see 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.
“The consensus in Tehran now believes that deterrence requires imposing immediate, sustained and substantial costs on its adversaries,” said Sina Toossi, an Iran expert at the Center for International Policy, a Washington think tank.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
With little new refining capacity expected in the immediate future in the US, India's ability to process large volumes of crude oil offers Washington a potential way to ease pressure on the fuel markets.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
In other words, if you invested $100,000 in an immediate or income annuity right now, as a man you’d earn $8,400 a year and as a woman you’d earn $8,000 until you died.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
But with Russia delivering immediate benefits, analysts said that time and strategic momentum are on Kim's side.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
With that settled, Penelope turned her attention to a more immediate concern: finding her way to Number Twelve Muffinshire Lane, which was the address of the house Lord Fredrick had rented.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
