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Definition of immediate adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

immediate

adjective
 OPAL W
 
/ɪˈmiːdiət/
 
/ɪˈmiːdiət/
Idioms
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  1.  
     happening or done without delay synonym instant
    • an immediate reaction/response
    • to take immediate action
    • RAM stores information for immediate access.
    • This decision will have an immediate impact on students.
    • The company announced the immediate availability of an updated version of the software.
    Extra Examples
    • The painkillers brought almost immediate relief.
    • Carrie's immediate reaction to the news was to laugh in relief.
    • Local police took immediate action when they received the bomb alert.
    • She said the matter needed immediate attention.
    Topics Timeb1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • seem
    adverb
    • almost
    See full entry
  2.  
     [usually before noun] existing now and needing attention quickly
    • Our immediate concern is to help the families of those who died.
    • The hospital says she's out of immediate danger.
    • weapons of mass destruction that were an immediate threat to international security
    • The report focuses on some of the more immediate problems facing us.
    • He said there was no immediate need to appeal for international assistance.
  3.  
     [only before noun] next to or very close to a particular place or time
    • in the immediate vicinity
    • in the immediate aftermath of the war
    • The prospects for the immediate future are good.
    • The director is standing on her immediate right.
    • my immediate predecessor in the job (= the person who had the job just before me)
  4. [only before noun] nearest in relationship or rank
    • The funeral was attended by her immediate family (= her parents, children, brothers and sisters) only.
    • He is my immediate superior (= the person directly above me) in the company.
  5. [only before noun] having a direct effect
    • The immediate cause of death is unknown.
    6. Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘nearest in space or order’): from Old French immediat, or from late Latin immediatus, from in- ‘not’ + mediatus ‘intervening’, past participle of mediare, from Latin medius ‘middle’.
Idioms
with immediate effect
  1. (formal) starting now
    • She has resigned with immediate effect.
See immediate in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee immediate in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: immediate

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Nearby words

hat-trick
noun
 
 
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