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 used in 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

Filmed entirely with iPhone 5S cameras, Tangerine crackles with immediacy and authenticity. —Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Dec. 2025

The technological mastery of cinematic spectacle is humanized by the immediacy of live performance. —Alex Ross, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025

It is built around subscriber retention, engagement hours, and global immediacy. —Joseph M. Singer, Deadline, 19 Dec. 2025

There is something intoxicating about the immediacy of showing a piece of ceramic work to a friend. —Literary Hub, 8 Dec. 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