immediate

adjective

im·​me·​di·​ate i-ˈmē-dē-ət 

 British often  -ˈmē-jit

1

a

: occurring, acting, or accomplished without loss or interval of time : instant

an immediate need

b(1)

: near to or related to the present

the immediate past

(2)

: of or relating to the here and now : current

too busy with immediate concerns to worry about the future

2

a

: existing without intervening space or substance

brought into immediate contact

b

: being near at hand

the immediate neighborhood

3

: being next in line or relation

the immediate family

4

a

: acting or being without the intervention of another object, cause, or agency : direct

the immediate cause of death

b

: present to the mind independently of other states or factors

immediate awareness

c

: involving or derived from a single premise

an immediate inference

5

: directly touching or concerning a person or thing

the child's immediate world is the classroom

Synonyms

• instant
• instantaneous
• split-second
• straightaway

Examples of immediate in a Sentence

This requires your immediate attention.

The new restaurant was an immediate success.

This crisis calls for immediate action.

The response to the crisis was immediate.

The wildfire poses no immediate threat to any houses in the area.

The danger is not immediate.

They have evacuated everyone in the immediate area of the wildfire.

Many people suffered in the war's immediate aftermath.

The effect of the new policy will be unknown for the immediate future.

He was sitting to my immediate right.

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Recent Examples on the Web

The effect was immediate, with prices for Russia’s wholesale gasoline delivery contracts falling by a tenth on the St. Petersburg Mercantile Exchange, while prices for diesel fell by 7.5%, according to Reuters. —Bychristiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2023

In the immediate aftermath, the 911 operator processed what the pilot had just said. —Jennifer Henderson, CNN, 22 Sep. 2023

There was no immediate word on why Mr. Murdoch’s announcement came now. —David Bauder, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Sep. 2023

But his judgment in the immediate aftermath of the scandal, reported by Robert Harris, a chronicler of the episode, was more to the point. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2023

The backlash from the Polish government, however, was immediate. —Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 21 Sep. 2023

The problems with the defense measure were only the most immediate challenge. —Carl Hulse, New York Times, 21 Sep. 2023

There was no immediate response from Kyiv to Morawiecki’s comments. —Time, 21 Sep. 2023

The house tour also reveals a more immediate inspiration for the museum’s glossy front: Lucille. —Justin Davidson, Curbed, 20 Sep. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Middle English immediat, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin immediatus, from Latin in- + Late Latin mediatus intermediate — more at mediate

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4a

Phrases Containing immediate

• immediate family
• immediate constituent

• immediate family
• immediate constituent

Kids Definition

immediate

adjective

im·​me·​di·​ate im-ˈēd-ē-ət 

1

: acting or being without anything else coming between

the immediate cause of disease

2

: being next in line or nearest in relationship

my immediate family

3

: closest in importance

our immediate needs

4

: acting or being without delay

needs immediate help

5

: not far away in time or space

Medical Definition

immediate

adjective

im·​me·​di·​ate

im-ˈēd-ē-ət, British often -ˈē-jit

1

a

: acting or being without the intervention of another object, cause, or agency : being direct

the immediate cause of death

b

: present to the mind independently of other states or factors

immediate awareness

2

: made or done at once

immediately adverb