immediacy

noun im·me·di·a·cy \ i-ˈmē-dē-ə-sē , British often -ˈmē-jə-sē \

|Updated on: 10 Jul 2018

Examples: immediacy in a Sentence

Definition of immediacy

plural immediacies

1 : the quality or state of being immediate

2 : something that is immediate —usually used in plural

See immediacy defined for English-language learners

See immediacy defined for kids

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 of immediacy from the Web

Iceland have become notorious for their mighty chant, which blows all opposition out of the park with its power and immediacy.

— SI.com, "5 of the Best Fan Chants in Russia," 5 July 2018
Opportunities abound in the digital world for immediacy in communications, as everyone knows and Trump demonstrates with every tweet.

— Washington Post, "How quaint: US-NKorea diplomacy via exchange of letters," 2 June 2018
Recounting the collapse of the St. Francis dam in 1928, a disaster that would mar Mulholland’s legacy, Krist describes the first moments of horror with terrifying immediacy.

— jennifer szalai, New York Times, "In ‘The Mirage Factory,’ a Thriving Los Angeles Born From Humble Beginnings," 23 May 2018
However, though consumers should brace for higher gasoline prices this summer regardless, the reality is that Trump's decision to reimpose sanctions isn't likely to affect global crude oil supply with any immediacy.

— NBC News, "Why Trump nixing the Iran deal will likely make your gas pricier," 8 May 2018
The subject matter — racketeering, corruption, violence — combined with the immediacy of television was irresistible.

— michael s. rosenwald, Washington Post, "‘Real-life drama’: When a senator won an Emmy for grilling witnesses at a televised hearing," 10 Apr. 2018
While the Parkland movement is for many reasons unique in the history of activism, the immediacy of the students’ action isn’t one of them.

— isabel fattal, The Atlantic, "The Power of Grief-Fueled Activism," 2 Mar. 2018
The immediacy of that draws viewers in real time, something that’s increasingly rare as DVR and On-Demand options make appointment TV unnecessary and other electronic devices distract viewers.

— chris morris, Fortune, "ESPN Pays $1.5 Billion for UFC Rights After Fox Turns Its Attention to WWE," 23 May 2018
The sound of soft harmonious voices can be very comforting as life closes down, but the songs can also bring forward the immediacy of death to family members sitting nearby.

— debra bruno, miamiherald, "When someone hovers at the edge of death, these singers step in to ease the passage | Miami Herald," 7 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'immediacy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.