immediate

adjective

im·​me·​di·​ate i-ˈmē-dē-ət How to pronounce immediate (audio)
 British often  -ˈmē-jit
1
a
: occurring, acting, or accomplished without loss or interval of time : instant
an immediate need
b(1)
: near to or related to the present
the immediate past
(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
the immediate family
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
immediate awareness
c
: involving or derived from a single premise
an immediate inference
5
: directly touching or concerning a person or thing
the child's immediate world is the classroom

Examples of immediate in a Sentence

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.
Recent Examples on the Web There was no immediate confirmation of reports that the pair were to be paid $10 million for the appearance. Jem Aswad, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 There is no immediate solution in sight to Kyiv’s intensifying manpower challenge. Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Graphic footage from the immediate aftermath of the scene filed by an eyewitness showed multiple bodies with traumatic injuries as well as pools of blood on a street strewn with rubble and dust. Kareem Khadder, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 Additionally, more than 350 advocacy groups and LGBTQ+ activists called for the immediate removal of an Oklahoma state superintendent, Ryan Walters. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024 Such a plan closely parallels what Mr. Orban has been advocating for the European Union — a suspension of all financial and military support for Ukraine, and a policy of pushing the government in Kyiv into immediate peace negotiations with Moscow. Andrew Higgins, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 For example, if a code for a condition that typically costs $5,000 to $7,000 to treat is assigned an estimate of $40,000, that’s an immediate red flag to check for fraud or plain old human error. Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024 Shohei Ohtani’s stardom has made an immediate impact among Dodgers players and staff, who marvel at the level of attention the team is receiving. Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 The immediate reaction across financial markets to the inflation data was nevertheless halting and uncertain. Yuri Kageyama, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024

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 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

immediate

adjective
im·​me·​di·​ate im-ˈēd-ē-ət How to pronounce immediate (audio)
1
: acting or being without anything else coming between
the immediate cause of disease
2
: being next in line or nearest in relationship
my immediate family
3
: closest in importance
our immediate needs
4
: acting or being without delay
needs immediate help
5
: not far away in time or space

Medical Definition

immediate

adjective
im·​me·​di·​ate
im-ˈēd-ē-ət, British often -ˈē-jit
1
a
: acting or being without the intervention of another object, cause, or agency : being direct
the immediate cause of death
b
: present to the mind independently of other states or factors
immediate awareness
2
: made or done at once
immediately adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on immediate

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