immediacy

noun

im·​me·​di·​a·​cy i-ˈmē-dē-ə-sē 

 British often  -ˈmē-jə-sē

plural immediacies

1

: the quality or state of being immediate

2

: something that is immediate

—usually used in plural

Synonyms

• adjacency
• closeness
• contiguity
• nearness
• propinquity
• proximity
• vicinity

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

By embracing a dual strategy—leveraging the credibility of legacy outlets and the immediacy of digital platforms—brands can build lasting relationships with their audiences. —Jeffrey Herzog, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025

The most startling aspect of Terrifier 3 is that the brutality has no firm meaning beyond the immediacy of its shock value. —Eric Kohn, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Jan. 2025

The plot ricochets back and forth between the immediacy of the intruder flashbacks that reveal the series of horrifying scenarios that led the family to this exact moment. —Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 27 Dec. 2024

The real-time format is excellently applied in creating the immediacy and, more than that, the simultaneity of a busy trauma center. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

immediacy

noun

im·​me·​di·​a·​cy im-ˈēd-ē-ə-sē 

plural immediacies

1

: the quality or state of being immediate

2

: something that is of immediate importance

immediacies of daily life