immediacy

noun

im·​me·​di·​a·​cy i-ˈmē-dē-ə-sē 

British often -ˈmē-jə-sē

plural immediacies

1

: the quality or state of being immediate

the immediacy of a live performance

2

: something that is immediate

the immediacy of our need

—usually plural

the basic immediacies of life

Synonyms of immediacy

• proximity

Examples of immediacy in a Sentence

Television coverage gave the war greater immediacy than it had ever before had.

There is an immediacy to watching a live performance that you cannot get from hearing a recording.

Recent Examples on the Web

As Reynolds notes, this freedom cut against rock’s foundational idea of immediacy, the direct communication of feeling between artist and audience. — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026

The Media Voice drove immediacy and global resonance, accounting for about 49 percent of total impact across major social platforms. — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026

Due to the immediacy and specificity of the threats at Lakeville South High School, law enforcement evacuated students and staff. — Reg Chapman, CBS News, 22 Sep. 2026

Björck’s dominance was not as extreme, but his goal and three assists were the product of a player with a higher ceiling and a greater degree of NHL immediacy than any Jets prospect in recent memory. — Murat Ates, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

immediacy

noun

im·​me·​di·​a·​cy im-ˈēd-ē-ə-sē 

plural immediacies

1

: the quality or state of being immediate

2

: something that is of immediate importance

immediacies of daily life