immediately

1 of 2

adverb

im·​me·​di·​ate·​ly i-ˈmē-dē-ət-lē 

also -ˈmē-dit-

British often -ˈmē-jit-

1

: without interval of time : straightway

I'll make that call immediately.

2

: in direct connection or relation : directly

the parties immediately involved in the case

the house immediately beyond this one

immediately

2 of 2

conjunction

chiefly British

: as soon as

Synonyms of immediately

Adverb

• promptly
• instantly
• now
• directly

Conjunction

• when
• once

Examples of immediately in a Sentence

Adverb

the person immediately to my left

Dinner was served immediately after the ceremony.

The new law will become effective immediately.

Conjunction

Immediately you fill out this form, we can start processing your request.

give us a ring immediately you get back

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

The Orange County district attorney’s office did not immediately return a message seeking comment Wednesday, nor did Yourex’s attorney. —Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026

Haaland bursts our bubble almost immediately by scoring in the opening five minutes, and Burnley miss a few good first-half chances, with striker Zian Flemming particularly culpable. —Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026

Cobb police did not immediately comment on how the search for Damian Strozier, 31, ended. —Vanessa McCray, AJC.com, 22 Apr. 2026

An attorney who previously represented Ford could not immediately be reached for comment. —CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Conjunction

1839, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for immediately

• intermediately
• mediately

Kids Definition

immediately

adverb

im·​me·​di·​ate·​ly

im-ˈēd-ē-ət-lē

1

: with nothing between : directly

the person immediately to my left

2

: right away : at once

do it immediately