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

2

: something that is immediate

—usually used in plural

Synonyms

• 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

The visual simplicity of mobile phone exchanges, personal photos and Fatma’s own images of her city and people, creates a sense of closeness and immediacy, drawing us into the daily reality of life under siege. —Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025

For now, Watkins is spending a lot of his time and energy figuring out a way to transfer the play’s energy and immediacy to a different medium. —Brent Lang, Variety, 22 Oct. 2025

That shift gives the music fresh immediacy, which Round says changed the dynamic in the studio. —Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 21 Oct. 2025

But the immediacy around these conversations about the Titans are baffling to me. —Nick Suss, Nashville Tennessean, 13 Oct. 2025

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