immediacy

noun

im·​me·​di·​a·​cy i-ˈmē-dē-ə-sē How to pronounce immediacy (audio)
British often -ˈmē-jə-sē
plural immediacies
Synonyms of immediacynext
1
: the quality or state of being immediate
the immediacy of a live performance
2
: something that is immediate
the immediacy of our need
—usually plural
the basic immediacies of life

Synonyms of immediacy

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Examples of immediacy in a Sentence

Television coverage gave the war greater immediacy than it had ever before had. There is an immediacy to watching a live performance that you cannot get from hearing a recording.
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.
But winning with immediacy and urgency is much easier said than done. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 But in an economy built around immediacy, employers may be concerned with the wrong thing. — Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026 The following tracks only get knottier and denser, but Sweeping Promises never stops setting primal immediacy against granular precision and letting the sparks fly. — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 20 Aug. 2026 This evolution promises a hybrid entertainment landscape, blending social platforms' immediacy with television's structured storytelling, fostering deeper audience engagement beyond fleeting algorithmic feeds. — Novika Ishar, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for immediacy

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of immediacy was in 1605

Browse Nearby Words

immed
immediacy
immediate
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Cite this Entry

“Immediacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immediacy. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

immediacy

noun
im·​me·​di·​a·​cy im-ˈēd-ē-ə-sē How to pronounce immediacy (audio)
plural immediacies
1
: the quality or state of being immediate
2
: something that is of immediate importance
immediacies of daily life
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