instantaneous

[ in-stuhn-tey-nee-uhs ]

/ ˌɪn stənˈteɪ ni əs /

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See synonyms for: instantaneous / instantaneously on Thesaurus.com

adjective

occurring, done, or completed in an instant: an instantaneous response.

existing at or pertaining to a particular instant: the instantaneous position of the rocket.

OTHER WORDS FOR instantaneous

1 immediate, sudden, abrupt.

See synonyms for instantaneous on Thesaurus.com

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Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of instantaneous

From the Medieval Latin word instantāneus, dating back to 1645–55. See instant, -an, -eous

OTHER WORDS FROM instantaneous

in·stan·ta·ne·i·ty

[in-stan-tn-ee-i-tee, in-stuhn-tuh-nee-], /ɪnˌstæn tnˈi ɪ ti, ˌɪn stən təˈni-/, in·stan·ta·ne·ous·ness, nounin·stan·ta·ne·ous·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use instantaneous in a sentence

Whereas if you’re heating a piece of metal in the atmosphere over the course of 10 seconds, then you get an instantaneous absorption of oxygen, many kilometers above the ground — great way of measuring the composition of the Earth’s upper atmosphere.
What Dust From Space Tells Us About Ourselves|Natalie Wolchover|February 4, 2021|Quanta Magazine
Emails aren’t as instantaneous as they used to be and many people have found themselves using them solely for external purposes.
Internal communication plan: How SMB marketing teams can achieve growth|Ronita Mohan|November 12, 2020|Search Engine Watch
The control menu is excellent, with every action instantaneous, no loading or stuttering.
PlayStation 5 review: PS5 is a sensory game-changer|Elise Favis|November 6, 2020|Washington Post
Neuroscientists already knew that memory formation is not instantaneous, and that the act of remembering is crucial to locking a memory into the brain.
Brain Cell DNA Refolds Itself to Aid Memory Recall|Elena Renken|November 2, 2020|Quanta Magazine

Instantaneously posting and garnering likes or retweets is the goal, as with increased notifications, the better the selfie.
The Selfie Olympics Are Upon Us|Marina Watts|January 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This light becomes instantaneously hypostasizing as it swirls into different patterns.
Mariko Mori Rebirth at the Japan Society|Justin Jones|October 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Her one entry instantaneously received hundreds of comments from readers and fans, mostly denouncing Saldana.
Will ‘Avatar’ Actress Zoe Saldana Play Legendary Singer Nina Simone?|Karu F. Daniels|August 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The fact that doing so can instantaneously alleviate all our discomfort is hard to resist.
The Science of Breakups|Amir Levine, Rachel Heller|August 3, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Which it goes ahead and does instantaneously, before you even get to the next page.
Twitter's Gangster Spam Trap|Douglas Rushkoff|September 30, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The porter placed there by Longcluse, of course, opened the gate instantaneously at his call.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
It was curious to watch the young girls as they instantaneously availed themselves of Mrs Mason's absence.
Ruth|Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
The sea air, however, has one most extraordinary quality—it removes a cough or cold almost instantaneously.
Travels through the South of France and the Interior of Provinces of Provence and Languedoc in the Years 1807 and 1808|Lt-Col. Pinkney
A little after sunset, the insurgents reached the forest, and instantaneously disappeared under covert.
The Border Rifles|Gustave Aimard
An English farmer would instantaneously double or quadruple the produce of the province.
Travels through the South of France and the Interior of Provinces of Provence and Languedoc in the Years 1807 and 1808|Lt-Col. Pinkney

British Dictionary definitions for instantaneous

instantaneous

/ (ˌɪnstənˈteɪnɪəs) /

adjective

occurring with almost no delay; immediate

happening or completed within a momentinstantaneous death

maths

occurring at or associated with a particular instant
equal to the limit of the average value of a given variable as the time interval over which the variable is considered approaches zeroinstantaneous velocity

Derived forms of instantaneous

instantaneously, adverbinstantaneousness or instantaneity (ɪnˌstæntəˈniːɪtɪ), noun

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

instantaneous

OTHER WORDS FOR instantaneous

Origin of instantaneous

OTHER WORDS FROM instantaneous

Words related to instantaneous

How to use instantaneous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for instantaneous

Derived forms of instantaneous