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

This means more planning, longer waits, bigger spends and decreased access to the immediacy and spontaneity that straight-size shoppers are typically guaranteed. ForbesWomen: Get the ForbesWomen newsletter, and supercharge your mission with success stories, tips and more. —Virgie Tovar, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025

For screenwriter William Gillies, the allure of immediacy appears to absolve the absence of history. —Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 14 Mar. 2025

That immediacy can change everything. —Brian Moroney, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025

By delivering dynamic, personalized and seamless interactions, RCS can transform customer experiences, blending immediacy with convenience. —Pratik Bhadra, Forbes, 7 Mar. 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