immediate

B1 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /ɪˈmi.di.ɪt/ UK /ɪˈmiː.dɪət/ See IPA manual

Freq #4437

Meanings

1

adj
Happening right away, with no delay.

The medicine had an immediate effect on her headache.
2

adj
Very close in space, time, or relationship.

Only my immediate family came to the small wedding.
3

adj
Existing or needed at the present time.

Our immediate concern is to find somewhere safe to stay.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · happening right away, with... instant straightaway

2 adj · very close in space, time,... close

More instantaneous near nearby present

Word family

Forms immediacy

Derived forms immediatelyimmediatenessimmediatismimmediatistimmediativenonimmediateunimmediate

Related forms immediacy

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.

immediat Old French immediātus la-lat in Old English

View etymology graph ->

External links

# immediate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ɪˈmi.di.ɪt/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪˈmiː.dɪət/
**Frequency rank:** 4437

## Meanings
1. Happening right away, with no delay.
2. Very close in space, time, or relationship.
3. Existing or needed at the present time.

## Examples
- The medicine had an immediate effect on her headache.
- Only my immediate family came to the small wedding.
- Our immediate concern is to find somewhere safe to stay.

## Synonyms
- instantaneous
- near
- nearby
- present

## Derived Forms
- immediately
- immediateness
- immediatism
- immediatist
- immediative
- nonimmediate
- unimmediate

## Related Forms
- immediacy

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: immediat
- Root: immediātus
- Root: in

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Immediate comes 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. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern adjectival form is built from the named base and affix. In current use, the main senses are “Happening right away, with no delay” and “Very close in space, time, or relationship”.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction
- Time

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immediate

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