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

took immediate action

requires immediate attention

b(1)

: near to or related to the present

the immediate past

our immediate future

(2)

: of or relating to the here and now : current

an immediate threat

too busy with immediate concerns to worry about the future

(3)

: close to a particular time or event

the immediate aftermath of the storm

2

a

: existing without intervening space or substance

brought into immediate contact

sitting to my immediate right

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 of immediate

• instantaneous
• instant

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Netflix’s fourth-quarter earnings call was a bounty of promises for new kinds of content on the streaming giant’s platform, even without immediate prospects of any new shows from its $83 billion bid for Warner Bros. —David Bloom, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026

Temperatures may dip below 10° outside of the beltway and low to mid-teens across the immediate metro. —Steven Sosna, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026

This Broncos locker room finds itself in the strangest of all places -- the future of the franchise suddenly ripped away, and having to step into an immediate future without him. —Arkansas Online, 21 Jan. 2026

There are no immediate plans, for instance, to re-imagine the course, said Miller Yoho, the foundation’s director of communications and marketing — even if that’s largely because the special-event permits were submitted and approved before the acquisition. —Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 20 Jan. 2026

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 constituent
• immediate family

Rhymes for immediate

• remediate
• intermediate

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