1
a
: occurring, acting, or accomplished without loss or interval of time : instant
b(1)
: near to or related to the present
(2)
: of or relating to the here and now : current
too busy with immediate concerns to worry about the future
2
a
: existing without intervening space or substance
brought into immediate contact
b
: being near at hand
the immediate neighborhood
3
: being next in line or relation
4
a
: acting or being without the intervention of another object, cause, or agency : direct
the immediate cause of death
b
: present to the mind independently of other states or factors
c
: involving or derived from a single premise
5
: directly touching or concerning a person or thing
the child’s immediate world is the classroom
Synonyms
Example Sentences
This requires your immediate attention.
The new restaurant was an immediate success.
This crisis calls for immediate action.
The response to the crisis was immediate.
The wildfire poses no immediate threat to any houses in the area.
The danger is not immediate.
They have evacuated everyone in the immediate area of the wildfire.
Many people suffered in the war’s immediate aftermath.
The effect of the new policy will be unknown for the immediate future.
He was sitting to my immediate right.
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Recent Examples on the Web
On Monday, as the embers of the highway bonfires were cleared, Israel’s ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog, called again for an immediate halt to the overhaul.
—
Ilan Ben Zion, Anchorage Daily News, 27 Mar. 2023
There was no immediate announcement about his replacement.
—Patrick Kingsley, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Mar. 2023
This had the immediate effect of strengthening the U.S. dollar.
—Frank Holmes, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023
At 6 feet 7, Downs is a towering presence on the mound and has come into games and been an immediate stopper.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2023
Earlier on Monday, Israel’s main airport, Ben Gurion Tel Aviv, announced an immediate halt to all departing flights.
—Helen Regan, CNN, 27 Mar. 2023
Troy had endured three straight losing seasons prior to Sumrall’s arrival, but made a near-immediate turnaround.
—Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, 27 Mar. 2023
Although this roller provides immediate results, the plastic handle may fall apart with regular use and can be difficult to reassemble.
—Lauren Manaker, Health, 27 Mar. 2023
The beloved drummer’s death was announced through a social media statement from the band’s accounts, with no immediate cause of death given.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 26 Mar. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘immediate.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English immediat, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin immediatus, from Latin in- + Late Latin mediatus intermediate — more at mediate
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4a
Time Traveler
The first known use of immediate was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near immediate
Cite this Entry
“Immediate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immediate. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on immediate
Last Updated:
29 Mar 2023
— Updated example sentences
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
im·me·di·ate
(ĭ-mē′dē-ĭt)
adj.
1. Occurring at once; happening without delay: needed immediate treatment for the injuries.
2.
a. Of or near the present time: in the immediate future.
b. Of or relating to the present time and place; current: «It is probable that, apart from the most immediate, pragmatic, technical revisions, the writer’s effort to detach himself from his work is quixotic» (Joyce Carol Oates).
3. Close at hand; near: in the immediate vicinity. See Synonyms at close.
4. Next in line or relation: is an immediate successor to the president of the company.
5. Acting or occurring without the interposition of another agency or object; direct: an immediate cause.
[Middle English immediat, from Old French, from Late Latin immediātus : Latin in-, not; see in-1 + Latin mediātus, past participle of mediāre, to be in the middle; see mediate.]
im·me′di·ate·ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
immediate
(ɪˈmiːdɪət)
adj (usually prenominal)
1. taking place or accomplished without delay: an immediate reaction.
2. closest or most direct in effect or relationship: the immediate cause of his downfall.
3. having no intervening medium; direct in effect: an immediate influence.
4. contiguous in space, time, or relationship: our immediate neighbour.
5. present; current: the immediate problem is food.
6. (Philosophy) philosophy of or relating to an object or concept that is directly known or intuited
7. (Logic) logic (of an inference) deriving its conclusion from a single premise, esp by conversion or obversion of a categorial statement
[C16: from Medieval Latin immediātus, from Latin im- (not) + mediāre to be in the middle; see mediate]
imˈmediacy, imˈmediateness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
im•me•di•ate
(ɪˈmi di ɪt)
adj.
1. occurring or accomplished without delay; instant: an immediate reply.
2. following or preceding without a lapse of time.
3. having no object or space intervening: in the immediate vicinity.
4. of or pertaining to the present time: our immediate plans.
5. without intervening medium or agent; direct: an immediate cause.
6. having a direct bearing: immediate considerations.
7. very close in relationship: my immediate family.
[1525–35; < Medieval Latin immediātus. See im-2, mediate (adj.)]
im•me′di•ate•ness, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Adj. | 1. | immediate — of the present time and place; «the immediate revisions»
present — temporal sense; intermediate between past and future; now existing or happening or in consideration; «the present leader»; «articles for present use»; «the present topic»; «the present system»; «present observations» |
| 2. | immediate — very close or connected in space or time; «contiguous events»; «immediate contact»; «the immediate vicinity»; «the immediate past»
contiguous close — at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other; «close to noon»; «how close are we to town?»; «a close formation of ships» |
|
| 3. | immediate — having no intervening medium; «an immediate influence»
mediate — acting through or dependent on an intervening agency; «the disease spread by mediate as well as direct contact» |
|
| 4. | immediate — immediately before or after as in a chain of cause and effect; «the immediate result»; «the immediate cause of the trouble»
proximate — closest in degree or order (space or time) especially in a chain of causes and effects; «news of his proximate arrival»; «interest in proximate rather than ultimate goals» |
|
| 5. | immediate — performed with little or no delay; «an immediate reply to my letter»; «a prompt reply»; «was quick to respond»; «a straightaway denial»
straightaway, prompt, quick fast — acting or moving or capable of acting or moving quickly; «fast film»; «on the fast track in school»; «set a fast pace»; «a fast car» |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
immediate
adjective
1. instant, prompt, instantaneous, quick, on-the-spot, split-second My immediate reaction was one of digust.
instant late, later, delayed, postponed, slow, leisurely, tardy
4. intimate, close The presence of his immediate family is having a calming influence.
5. recent, just gone jobs and success, which we haven’t enjoyed in the immediate past
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
immediate
adjective
2. Not far from another in space, time, or relation:
3. Marked by the absence of any intervention:
The American Heritage® Roget’s Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
فَوْريمُبَاشِرمُباشِرمُباشِر، قَريب جدا
okamžitýbezprostřednípřímý
øjeblikkeligomgåendeumiddelbar
välitönlähi-
neposredan
milliliîalaus, sem kemur strax á eftirnæstur, nálægurtafarlaus
早速の
즉시즉시의
kai tiknedelsiamasnetiesioginistuojau pat
neatliekamstūlītējstuvākaistuvējais
bezprostredný
takojšen
omedelbar
ทันที
lập tức
immediate
[ɪˈmiːdɪət] ADJ
Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
immediate
[ɪˈmiːdiət] adj
(= instantaneous) [impact, response, effect] → immédiat(e)
(= first) [reaction] → immédiat(e)
(= foremost) [problem, need] → immédiat(e)
(= imminent) [threat, danger] → immédiat(e)
[concern] → dans l’immédiat
Her condition was not a cause for immediate concern → Son état ne suscitait aucune inquiétude dans l’immédiat.
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
immediate
adj
knowledge, future, object, danger, threat, need, neighbour → unmittelbar; vicinity, neighbourhood → unmittelbar, nächste(r, s); cause, impact, successor → direkt, unmittelbar; only the immediate family were invited → nur die engste Familie wurde eingeladen; in the immediate aftermath of the war → unmittelbar nach dem Krieg; our immediate plan is to go to France → wir fahren zuerst einmal nach Frankreich; he has no immediate plans to retire → er hat derzeit or im Moment nicht die Absicht, sich zur Ruhe zu setzen
(= most urgent) problem, concern → dringendste(r, s); my immediate concern was for the children → mein erster Gedanke galt den Kindern
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
immediate
(iˈmiːdiət) adjective
1. happening at once and without delay. an immediate response.
2. without anyone etc coming between. His immediate successor was Bill Jones.
3. close. our immediate surroundings.
imˈmediately adverb
at once. He answered immediately.
conjunction
as soon as. You may leave immediately you finish your work.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
immediate
→ مُبَاشِر okamžitý øjeblikkelig unmittelbar άμεσος inmediato välitön immédiat neposredan immediato 早速の 즉시의 onmiddellijk øyeblikkelig natychmiastowy imediato немедленный omedelbar ทันที acil lập tức 立即的
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
immediate
a. inmediato-a, cercano-a;
adv. inmediatamente, en seguida.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
immediate 
immediate constituent 
immediately 
immediateness
немедленный, непосредственный, прямой, ближайший, безотлагательный, срочный
прилагательное ↓
- непосредственный, прямой
- ближайший
immediate family — родители и их дети, малая /нуклеарная/ семья 
the immediate future — ближайшее будущее
in the immediate neighbourhood /vicinity/ — поблизости, рядом
immediate aim — ближайшая цель
immediate tasks — очередные задачи
- полученный из первых рук
immediate information — сведения из первых рук
- немедленный, безотлагательный
immediate answer /reply/ — безотлагательный ответ
to provide the immediate relief — предоставить неотложную помощь
immediate needs — неотложные потребности
to take immediate action — срочно принять меры, действовать незамедлительно /безотлагательно/
immediate compensation — единовременная компенсация /выплата/
immediate halt — спец. экстренное торможение
- вчт. быстродействующий
immediate access memory — быстродействующее запоминающее устройство
Мои примеры
Словосочетания
the immediate cause of the trouble — непосредственная причина этой проблемы
an immediate reply to my letter — немедленный ответ на моё письмо
direct cause, immediate cause — прямая, непосредственная причина
immediate corollary — непосредственное следствие
immediate delivery — немедленная поставка
immediate / prompt / vigorous — незамедлительные действия
immediate / near future — ближайшее будущее
immediate goal — ближайшая цель
immediate cause of death — непосредственная причина смерти
immediate news / information — новости, сообщения из первых рук
immediate need — первая необходимость
immediate medical care / relief — неотложная (медицинская) помощь
Примеры с переводом
The danger is not immediate.
Это не прямая угроза.
This requires your immediate attention.
Это требует вашего немедленного внимания.
He was sitting to my immediate right.
Он сидел справа, рядом со мной.
He’s too busy with immediate concerns to worry about the future.
Он слишком занят текущими проблемами, чтобы заботиться ещё и о будущем.
There is an immediate danger of war.
Существует непосредственная угроза войны.
If the eyes are affected, seek immediate medical attention.
Если повреждены глаза, немедленно обратитесь за медицинской помощью.
Let’s try and solve the most immediate problem.
Давайте попробуем решить наиболее насущную проблему.
ещё 12 примеров свернуть
Возможные однокоренные слова
immediately — немедленно, непосредственно, тотчас, как только
immediateness — незамедлительность, безотлагательность, непосредственность
immediatism — принцип немедленных действий, политика немедленной отмены рабства
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.
Definitions of immediate
-
adjective
immediately before or after as in a chain of cause and effect
“the
immediate result”“the
immediate cause of the trouble”-
Synonyms:
-
proximate
closest in degree or order (space or time) especially in a chain of causes and effects
-
proximate
-
adjective
performed with little or no delay
“an
immediate reply to my letter”-
synonyms:
prompt, quick, straightaway
-
fast
acting or moving or capable of acting or moving quickly
-
fast
-
adjective
of the present time and place
“the
immediate revisions”-
Synonyms:
-
present
temporal sense; intermediate between past and future; now existing or happening or in consideration
-
present
-
adjective
very close or connected in space or time
“immediate contact”
“the
immediate vicinity”“the
immediate past”-
synonyms:
contiguous
-
close
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
-
close
-
adjective
having no intervening medium
“an
immediate influence”-
Synonyms:
-
direct, unmediated
having no intervening persons, agents, conditions
-
direct, unmediated
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘immediate’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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