immediate Hear it!

immediate Definition

im·medi·ate (i mē′dē it)

adjective

  1. having nothing coming between; with no intermediary; specif.,
    1. not separated in space; in direct contact; closest; nearest
    2. close by; near immediate neighbors
    3. not separated in time; acting or happening at once; without delay; instant
  2. of the present time
  3. next in order, succession, etc.; next in line
  4. directly or closely related one's immediate family
  5. directly affecting; direct; firsthand an immediate cause
  6. understood or perceived directly or intuitively an immediate inference

Etymology: LL immediatus: see in- & mediate

immediate Related Forms

im·me′di·ate·ness noun

immediate Synonyms

immediate

modif.

  1. Without delay

    at once, instantaneous, instant, on the instant, live, now, at this moment, at the present time, next, prompt, quick; see also direct 3, fast 1.

    Antonyms someday*, later*, any time. *

  2. Primary

    pressing, critical, paramount; see important 1, urgent 1.

immediate Usage Examples

Adjective complement with noun phrase

want: Our issue is that when people are wanting asylum, they want something very immediate if they are genuine applicants.

Modifies a noun

  • vicinity: Moving away from the immediate vicinity of the harbor, there has been a fair bit of new building in recent years.
  • aftermath: In the immediate aftermath of the June 1940 surrender, France went into a period of shock.
  • effect: The changes had an immediate effect, with Purse forced to head away a cross from Stuart Green.
  • surroundings: You have to get them away from their immediate surroundings, you ask them to come for a chat.
  • danger: Whilst the vessel is probably not in immediate danger of falling to pieces, a great deal could be done to improve things.
  • response: Craig works closely with the CLC to provide the immediate front-line response necessary to help ensure the highest possible system uptime of your network.

Modifying Another Word

  • almost: On most media, drying time is almost immediate.
  • fairly: For many people the effect is immediate or fairly immediate, but for others it can take a week or two to start working.
  • very: The Gabriel he writes about, and the Colombia in which he grows up, both seem very familiar and very immediate.
  • always: Its distinguishing features are not always immediate obvious, and it may easily be overlooked.
  • little: So there is little immediate feedback, satisfaction or appreciation.
  • not: Witnesses You will need two witnesses to be present during the wedding ceremony, both of whom are not immediate family members.

Used with adjective complement

become: However, as the prospect of e-only versions of material becomes more immediate, the preservation issue becomes more pressing.