adj · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ɪˈmiː.dɪət/
Received-Pronunciation:/ɪˈmiː.d͡ʒɪt/
Canada, General-American:/ɪˈmi.di.ɪt/
Canada, General-American:/ɪˈmi.di.ət/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australian:/ɪˈmiːdi.ɪt/
CMU ARPABET:IH2 M IY1 D IY2 AH0 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Happening right away, instantly, with no delay.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Computer users these days expect immediate results when they click on a link.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Very close; direct or adjacent.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
immediate family; immediate vicinity
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Manifestly true; requiring no argument.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Embedded as part of the instruction itself, rather than stored elsewhere (such as a register or memory location).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adj
Meaning 5
Used to denote that a transmission is urgent.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: procedure word
Topics: government, military, politics, war
Examples
Bravo Three, this Bravo Six. Immediate! We are coming under fire from the north from an unknown enemy, over!
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adj
Meaning 6
An artillery fire mission modifier for two types of fire mission to denote an immediate need for fire: Immediate smoke, all guns involved must reload smoke and fire. Immediate suppression, all guns involved fire the rounds currently loaded and then switch to high explosive with impact fused (unless fuses are specified).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: procedure word
Topics: government, military, politics, war
Examples
Hotel Two-Niner, this is Bravo Six. Immediate suppression at grid November-Kilo four-five-three two-one-five. Danger Close. I authenticate Golf Echo, over.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
adjective
Meaning 7
having no intervening medium
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
an immediate influence
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: mediate
8
adjective satellite
Meaning 8
very close or connected in space or time
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
contiguous events
immediate contact
the immediate vicinity
the immediate past
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: contiguous
Antonyms: none provided
9
adjective satellite
Meaning 9
performed with little or no delay
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
an immediate reply to my letter
a prompt reply
was quick to respond
a straightaway denial
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: prompt, quick, straightaway
Antonyms: none provided
10
adjective satellite
Meaning 10
immediately before or after as in a chain of cause and effect
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the immediate result
the immediate cause of the trouble
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
adjective satellite
Meaning 11
of the present time and place
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the immediate revisions
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Old French immediat (French immédiat), borrowed from Late Latin immediātus (“without in-between, moderation”), from Latin in + mediātus, perfect passive participle of mediō (“to halve, to be in the middle”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from medius (“middle”). By surface analysis, im- + mediate.
Across languages
Translations
77 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
فَوْرِيّ
(fawriyy)
— without delay
Belarusian:
неадкла́дны
(njeadkládny)
— without delay
Bulgarian:
незаба́вен
(nezabáven)
— without delay
Catalan:
immediat
— without delay
Chamicuro:
kapaletsi'ta
— without delay
Chinese Mandarin:
即時 /即时
(jíshí)
— without delay
Czech:
okamžitý
— without delay
Danish:
øjeblikkelig
— without delay
Dutch:
direct
— without delay
Dutch:
onmiddellijk
— without delay
Esperanto:
tuja
— without delay
Finnish:
välitön
— without delay
French:
immédiat
— without delay
Galician:
inmediato
— without delay
German:
sofortig
— without delay
Greek:
άμεσος
(ámesos)
— without delay
Italian:
immediato
— without delay
Japanese:
即時の
(sokuji no)
— without delay
Khmer:
ភ្លាម
(phliəm)
— without delay
Korean:
즉시
(jeuksi)
— without delay
Māori:
whawhati tata
— without delay
Norwegian Bokmål:
umiddelbar
— without delay
Norwegian Bokmål:
øyeblikkelig
— without delay
Norwegian Bokmål:
med det samme
— without delay
Norwegian Bokmål:
omgående
— without delay
Persian:
بلافاصله
(belâfâsele)
— without delay
Persian:
آنی
(âni)
— without delay
Polish:
natychmiastowy
— without delay
Polish:
bezpośredni
— without delay
Polish:
bezzwłoczny
— without delay
Polish:
niezwłoczny
— without delay
Polish:
doraźny
— without delay
Polish:
momentalny
— without delay
Portuguese:
imediato
— without delay
Romanian:
imediat
— without delay
Russian:
неме́дленный
(nemédlennyj)
— without delay
Scottish Gaelic:
grad
— without delay
Spanish:
inmediato
— without delay
Swedish:
ögonblicklig
— without delay
Swedish:
omedelbar
— without delay
Tagalog:
mabilis
— without delay
Tagalog:
madali
— without delay
Telugu:
తక్షణ
(takṣaṇa)
— without delay
Ukrainian:
нега́йний
(nehájnyj)
— without delay
Ukrainian:
безпосере́дній
(bezposerédnij)
— without delay
Urdu:
فوری
(fauri)
— without delay
Vietnamese:
ngay lập tức
— without delay
Yiddish:
באַלדיק
(baldik)
— without delay
Belarusian:
непасрэ́дны
(njepasrédny)
— very close
Belarusian:
беспасярэ́дні
(bjespasjarédni)
— very close
Bulgarian:
пряк
(prjak)
— very close
Bulgarian:
непосре́дствен
(neposrédstven)
— very close
Catalan:
pròxim
— very close
Czech:
bezprostřední
— very close
Danish:
tæt
— very close
Danish:
umiddelbar
— very close
Finnish:
lähin
— very close
French:
proche
— very close
French:
immédiat
— very close
German:
unmittelbar
— very close
German:
immediat
— very close
Hindi:
ठीक
(ṭhīk)
— very close
Italian:
prossimo
— very close
Italian:
stretto
— very close
Italian:
diretto
— very close
Italian:
immediato
— very close
Norwegian Bokmål:
nærmeste
— very close
Persian:
نزدیک
(nazdik)
— very close
Portuguese:
imediato
— very close
Russian:
бли́зкий
(blízkij)
— very close
Russian:
ближа́йший
(bližájšij)
— very close
Russian:
окре́стный
(okréstnyj)
— very close
Russian:
непосре́дственный
(neposrédstvennyj)
— very close
Spanish:
inmediato
— very close
Swedish:
omedelbar
— very close
Ukrainian:
найбли́жчий
(najblýžčyj)
— very close
Ukrainian:
безпосере́дній
(bezposerédnij)
— very close