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 Residents and officials hold differing views on the immediate priority of coastal protection versus recreational infrastructure. — Lauren Pozen, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 All require a clinician to establish a relationship with a patient before prescribing, which can happen via a real-time video or phone call, a previous in-person meeting or through a less immediate method, like a questionnaire. — Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026 The relatively young pope was chosen last year Leo was 69 when he was elected in 2025, relatively young compared with his two immediate predecessors. — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 Your immediate goal is to stop additional fraud, protect your information and create a record of what happened. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 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
  • The system effectively turns every step into an instantaneous electrochemical generator.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Back then, subcultures had time to grow deep community roots away from an instantaneous online audience.
    — Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of instantaneous
Adjective
  • The primary danger of these apps is not the fees associated with using just one, Feltner noted.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The bill was introduced over a year ago, and its primary backer was the late Lindsey Graham, a veteran Republican senator who represented South Carolina.
    — Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of primary
Adjective
  • That drew a swift rebuke from a bipartisan group of Senators, who wrote a letter to Apple arguing that to do so would imperil national security.
    — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The provincial government’s spokeswoman, Samar Haroon Bilour, praised rescue workers for their swift response.
    — Riaz Khan, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of swift
Adjective
  • Detection of near-surface ice is of interest both scientifically as well as in support of future human expeditions to Mars.
    — Leonard David, Space.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Multiple news outlets reported that Anthropic, at an investor presentation ahead of its planned IPO expected in the near future, announced its sales grew 45% to $17 billion last quarter.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of near
Adjective
  • The district also later reported that about 2,000 student assessment records had been posted, including those of 60 current students.
    — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The calves struggled against a current thick with floating clumps of river plants.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of current
Adjective
  • CorneaCare’s Self Heating Warm Compresses deliver instant warmth plus hydrated minerals aimed at dryness, fatigue, tearing and puffiness.
    — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The leap became an instant hit in Philadelphia, which went on to win the Super Bowl in Barkley’s first season with the team.
    — Mark Long, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of instant
Adjective
  • According to Chen, the business is more direct-to-consumer than wholesale.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • However, the new device has not yet demonstrated direct measurement of Earth’s rotation.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of direct
Adjective
  • If the car or truck was rented in one state, set to return in another state and crossed into Mexico via a third, the coordination required between three state law enforcement agencies can make timely recovery of the vehicle even more complicated.
    — Steve Fisher Special Correspondent Follow, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
  • For more on this, check out STAT’s Katie Palmer’s excellent addition to her timely series Paying for AI, which examines how new clinical AI tools influence the affordability of health care and patients’ long-term health.
    — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 8 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2026.

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