imminent

im·mi·nent

adj \ˈi-mə-nənt\

Definition of IMMINENT

: ready to take place; especially : hanging threateningly over one's head <was in imminent danger of being run over>

— im·mi·nent·ly adverb

Examples of IMMINENT

1. We are awaiting their imminent arrival.
2. These patients are facing imminent death.
3. The FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the local authorities were momentarily stunned, and began frantically trying to prepare for what they feared were further imminent attacks. —Richard A. Clarke, Atlantic, January/February 2005
4. The compression squashes the bullet slightly, enabling about a half-dozen spiral grooves cut along the barrel's inner wall to grab the bullet and make it spin. That spin stabilizes the bullet's imminent flight. —Peter Weiss, Science News, 11 Jan. 2003
5. Plaints about the imminent demise of the language are made in every century. But there is usually nothing inherently wrong with most changes the purists deplore. —Steven Pinker, New York Times, 24 Dec. 1999

Origin of IMMINENT

Latin imminent-, imminens, present participle of imminēre to project, threaten, from in- + -minēre (akin to Latin mont-, mons mountain) — more at mount

First Known Use: 1528

Related to IMMINENT

Synonyms: impending, looming, pending, threatening, around the corner

Antonyms: late, recent

Related Words: approaching, coming, forthcoming, future, near, nearing, oncoming, upcoming; brewing, gathering; likely, possible, probable; inevitable, unavoidable; apocalyptic (also apocalyptical), lowering, menacing, ominous, portentous; anticipated, awaited, expected, foreseen, predicted

Near Antonyms: distant, far-off, remote; eventual, ultimate; bygone, former, past; late, recent

see all synonyms and antonyms

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