immediacy

noun

im·me·di·a·cy | \ i-ˈmē-dē-ə-sē

, British often -ˈmē-jə-sē\

plural immediacies

Definition of immediacy

1 : the quality or state of being immediate

2 : something that is immediate —usually used in plural

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about immediacy

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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 book’s occasional character, far from rendering it ephemeral, gives it a prophetic immediacy. — Edward Short, WSJ, "Eloquence in Defense of Order," 8 Mar. 2019 And their intensity of affection, their immediacy and attraction, cuts through the language barrier. — Misha Berson, The Seattle Times, "Here’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ like you’ve never seen it, with the star-crossed lovers bridging the gap between American Sign Language and English," 20 Feb. 2019 So skillfully does Clark set the scene that its immediacy is unsettling. — WSJ, "Five Best: Christopher Knowlton on Westerns," 19 July 2018 But many of you appreciate the immediacy and convenience of seattletimes.com. — Don Shelton, The Seattle Times, "Why readers’ feedback is so important to The Seattle Times’ mission," 28 Sep. 2018 More Film Reviews There’s another reason for the film’s immediacy, one that springs from Mr. Jenkins’s strategy for honoring a singular book by a peerless American writer. — Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, "‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ Review: Love Hoping for Justice," 13 Dec. 2018 The ice cream in this perfect sandwich is impossibly airy, dissolving with immediacy in your mouth like a frozen, vanilla-perfumed breeze. — Tejal Rao, New York Times, "The Best Frozen Treats, Ranked," 22 May 2018 Every serious conversational exchange lands with remarkable immediacy. — Dorothy Rabinowitz, WSJ, "‘Homecoming’ Review: For Those Who Served," 1 Nov. 2018 And the immediacy of television, with closeups capable of bringing us in tight on the performers' faces, gave Jesus and Mary Magdalene a complexity that often is missing from conventional productions. — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert': TV Review," 2 Apr. 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.