imminent

[im-uh-nuhnt]

adjective

1. likely to occur at any moment; impending.

   Her death is imminent.

   Synonyms: at hand, near
   Antonyms: remote, distant

2. projecting or leaning forward; overhanging.

imminent

/ ˈɪmɪnənt /

adjective

1. liable to happen soon; impending

2. obsolete,  jutting out or overhanging

Other Word Forms

• imminently adverb
• imminentness noun
• unimminent adjective
• imminence noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of imminent¹

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin imminent- (stem of imminēns ), present participle of imminēre “to overhang,” equivalent to im- im- ¹ + -min- from a base meaning “jut out, project, rise” ( eminent, mount ² ) + -ent- -ent

Word History and Origins

Origin of imminent¹

C16: from Latin imminēre to project over, from _im- (in) + -minēre to project; related to mons mountain

Synonym Study

Imminent, Impending, Threatening all may carry the implication of menace, misfortune, disaster, but they do so in differing degrees. Imminent may portend evil: an imminent catastrophe, but also may mean simply “about to happen”: The merger is imminent. Impending has a weaker sense of immediacy and threat than imminent : Real tax relief legislation is impending, but it too may be used in situations portending disaster: impending social upheaval; to dread the impending investigation. Threatening almost always suggests ominous warning and menace: a threatening sky just before the tornado struck.

Example Sentences

Nexperia has urged its China unit to facilitate production and restore the flow of chips, warning that customers are facing imminent stoppages.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Despite Liverpool's poor run of form, sources have told BBC Sport that Slot's position is not under imminent threat.

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Worried that an attack could be imminent, residents made a public appeal, late at night, for Lebanese soldiers to be deployed.

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In an interview with The Wall Street Journal published Monday, San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly said she supports an interest-rate cut in December and Fed governor Christopher Waller also called for an imminent cut.

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And on Monday, Fed governor Christopher Waller once again called for an imminent cut.

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Related Words

• forthcoming 
• immediate 
• impending 
• inevitable 
• likely 
• looming 
• possible 
• probable 
• unavoidable