INSTANTANEOUS Synonyms: 20 Similar and Opposite Words

instantaneous

adjective

ˌin(t)-stən-ˈtā-nē-əs

Definition of instantaneous

as in immediate

done or occurring without any noticeable lapse in time the thunder following the flash of lightning was nearly instantaneous

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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 instantaneous Lauletta and team have ambitions to achieve a rare feat in the sport — building a brand big enough to generate instantaneous recognition beyond the NASCAR bubble. — Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 During the test, the laser did not appear as a long continuous light but rather an invisible almost instantaneous heat beam that hit precise points on the drone. — Eleanor Watson, CBS News, 7 Sep. 2026 But his son went to meet Kaya, and the connection was almost instantaneous. — Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 27 Aug. 2026 And all have been just as vulnerable to the near-instantaneous bootlegging. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for instantaneous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for instantaneous

Adjective

Maintaining command-and-control links matters when troops rely on aerial sensors to gather information beyond their immediate positions.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Fire officials were most concerned with keeping the blaze north of Encinal Canyon Road, one of the few natural firebreaks in the immediate area.

— Tom Tapp, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of immediate

Adjective

This is not nostalgia but a signal that in a world of instant everything, doing something slowly and well has become its own form of rebellion, and its own form of value.

— Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
The tablet takes a good 20 to 30 seconds to boot up from that state, which is a nuisance compared with the instant wake-up from sleep mode.

— Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of instant

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instant

instantaneous

instantaneously

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“Instantaneous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instantaneous. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of instantaneous

adjective

Example Sentences

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