adverb
immediately
Without delay or with nothing in between.
When the phone rings, she immediately stops and answers.
Etymology
Immediate means that nothing stands between. Immediately applies this either to time, with no delay, or to position or relation, with no intermediary.
More examples
- Please report any missing equipment immediately.
- The pharmacy is immediately next to the grocery store.
- We leave immediately after breakfast.
Forms
immediate adjective — Occurring without delay or anything intervening.
Similar words
- promptly
- Emphasizes acting quickly rather than having nothing in between.
- instantly
- Stresses that no perceptible time passes before something happens.
- directly
- Emphasizes the absence of intervening steps, people, or space.