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Added 9 October 2026

immediate

/ɪˈmiː.dɪət/ adjective

Latin root: immediātus Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about immediate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Happening right away, instantly, with no delay.
Computer users these days expect immediate results when they click on a link.
Very close; direct or adjacent.
immediate family; immediate vicinity
Manifestly true; requiring no argument.

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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