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immediate

adjective

i-ˈmē-dē-ət How to pronounce immediate (audio)
Definition of immediatenext
1
as in instantaneous
done or occurring without any noticeable lapse in time felt immediate relief after taking the painkiller

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in primary
done or working without something else coming in between she is my immediate superior, so I report to her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in swift
done, carried out, or given without delay immediate treatment saved the victim of the massive heart attack

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in near
not being distant in time, space, or significance for the victims of the terrorist attack, the incident is as immediate as yesterday's news

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in current
existing or in progress right now we need to solve the immediate problems before working on the more long-term ones

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of immediate Food is one of the most immediate ways institutions and individuals can help reshape the future. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 24 Sep. 2026 Targeting legacy Magnox The rig’s immediate assignment involves Magnox fuel. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2026 Her remit includes turning strategy into an immediate, actionable competitive advantage. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026 After the news outlets filed a request with the court for an immediate hearing asking the White House to address the non-response to the judge’s order, their access was restored. — Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for immediate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for immediate
  1. instantaneous
  2. primary
  3. swift
  4. near
  5. current
  6. instant
  7. direct
  8. timely
Adjective
  • And in the interior of a cell, decoherence should be basically instantaneous — quantumness shouldn’t survive long enough in such an environment to have any bearing on biology.
    — Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The standard 80% of financial advice—such as whether to invest or pay off debt, how much money to set aside for emergencies or if a purchase will interfere with a savings goal—becomes instantaneous, free and accessible to anybody with a smartphone.
    — Antoine Sallis, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of instantaneous
Adjective
  • Orbit is Flight 14’s primary focus, and only by achieving that milestone can SpaceX move on to clear the rocket’s remaining hurdles.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The primary bedroom overlooks the High Line, with an en-suite bathroom that has a separate soaking tub and glass shower stall.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of primary
Adjective
  • Digging into the character was all the more challenging for both Pitt and Ayer given the compressed pre-production schedule and swift shoot, which required them to hit the ground running.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The Taliban’s return to power was swift, though preventing it had ostensibly been the entire point of the decades-long occupation, the bombs, the hundreds of thousands of lives lost.
    — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of swift
Adjective
  • The approach avoids conventional wireless technologies such as Bluetooth and near-field communication, which can struggle to transmit signals through human tissue.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026
  • A couple months after the framework announcement, Mills says, he was caught completely off guard when Booker’s staff sent him a copy of a draft bill that sought to turn the framework into near-term legislation.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of near
Adjective
  • Before automatically reaching for the next achievement, notice how the current direction actually feels.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
  • By changing the current sent to the motor, the researchers can set its jump height with single-centimeter accuracy.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of current
Adjective
  • Most were instant communities, born of the same monomania for property sales as the grid.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • When Jane Fonda hit the Oscars stage with a silver pixie cut in 2020, jaws dropped, heads turned and every woman painfully growing out their grays had instant hair envy.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of instant
Adjective
  • On many of the songs, Beck broke into a falsetto that was a direct homage to Prince.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
  • CFOs and operators should recognize that redemption pressure from 401(k) vehicles is structurally buffered at the fund level and is unlikely to translate into direct liquidity demands at the PortCo level.
    — Nate Heeren, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of direct
Adjective
  • Against California, a formidable defense and timely offense helped UCLA pull off a win.
    — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The bill may also come due if the homeowner fails to make timely insurance and property tax payments or stops maintaining the property.
    — Liz Knueven,Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of timely

Browse Nearby Words

immediacy
immediate
immediately
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Cite this Entry

“Immediate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/immediate. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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