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

Related Forms:

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.