adj.
Pronunciation: i- ' m ē -d ē - ə t, Brit often - ' m ē -jit
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English immediat, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin immediatus, from Latin in- + Late Latin mediatus intermediate ― more at MEDIATE
Date: 15th century
1 a : acting or being without the intervention of another object, cause, or agency : DIRECT <the immediate cause of death> b : present to the mind independently of other states or factors < immediate awareness> c : involving or derived from a single premise <an immediate inference>
2 : being next in line or relation <the immediate family>
3 a : existing without intervening space or substance <brought into immediate contact> b : being near at hand <the immediate neighborhood>
4 a : occurring, acting, or accomplished without loss or interval of time : INSTANT <an immediate need> b (1) : near to or related to the present <the immediate past> (2) : of or relating to the here and now : CURRENT <too busy with immediate concerns to worry about the future>
5 : directly touching or concerning a person or thing <the child's immediate world is the classroom>