immediately

1 of 2

adverb

im·​me·​di·​ate·​ly i-ˈmē-dē-ət-lē How to pronounce immediately (audio)
also -ˈmē-dit-
British often -ˈmē-jit-
Synonyms of immediately
1
: without interval of time : straightway
I'll make that call immediately.
2
: in direct connection or relation : directly
the parties immediately involved in the case
the house immediately beyond this one

immediately

2 of 2

conjunction

chiefly British
: as soon as

Synonyms of immediately

Relevance

Adverb

Conjunction

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of immediately in a Sentence

Adverb the person immediately to my left Dinner was served immediately after the ceremony. The new law will become effective immediately. Conjunction Immediately you fill out this form, we can start processing your request. give us a ring immediately you get back
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adverb
The cause of the fire was not immediately known and remained under investigation. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 The Pima County Sheriff’s Department did not immediately respond to Variety‘s own request for comment regarding the allegations. — Jack Dunn, Variety, 2 Aug. 2026 AstraZeneca and Bristol Myers Squibb did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment. — Annie Nova, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2026 The White House, the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington and officials at SpaceX, which owns Starlink, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Zelenskyy’s request. — Lisa Mascaro, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for immediately

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Conjunction

1839, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of immediately was in the 15th century

Rhymes for immediately

See All Rhymes for immediately

Browse Nearby Words

immediate inference
immediately
immediateness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Immediately.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immediately. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

immediately

adverb
im·​me·​di·​ate·​ly
im-ˈēd-ē-ət-lē
1
: with nothing between : directly
the person immediately to my left
2
: right away : at once
do it immediately

More from Merriam-Webster on immediately

Nglish: Translation of immediately for Spanish Speakers

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