instantaneous
adjective
in·stan·ta·neous
ˌin(t)-stən-ˈtā-nē-əs 
-nyəs
1
: done, occurring, or acting without any perceptible duration of time
death was instantaneous
2
: done without any delay being purposely introduced
took instantaneous corrective action
3
: occurring or present at a particular instant
instantaneous velocity
instantaneousness
noun
Examples of instantaneous in a Sentence
We got an almost instantaneous response from the company.
the thunder following the flash of lightning was nearly instantaneous
Recent Examples on the Web
Odegaard’s impact in those first few weeks was profound and instantaneous.
—
James McNicholas, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
There was zero time wasted on deciding where the puck should go; every pass was instantaneous and laser-accurate and threaded the needle through the slot perfectly.
—Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024
Six decades ago, Medley's warm baritone was an instantaneous stylistic reference for the era of good feeling that allowed rock 'n' roll to evolve into a global phenomenon.
—Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 26 Nov. 2024
Yet, the precious few autonomous cars out in the world today are generally designed to work without much in the way of instantaneous Internet communication.
—IEEE Spectrum, 9 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instantaneous
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James McNicholas, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
There was zero time wasted on deciding where the puck should go; every pass was instantaneous and laser-accurate and threaded the needle through the slot perfectly.
—Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024
Six decades ago, Medley's warm baritone was an instantaneous stylistic reference for the era of good feeling that allowed rock 'n' roll to evolve into a global phenomenon.
—Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 26 Nov. 2024
Yet, the precious few autonomous cars out in the world today are generally designed to work without much in the way of instantaneous Internet communication.
—IEEE Spectrum, 9 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instantaneous
Cite this Entry
“Instantaneous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instantaneous. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
instantaneous
adjective
in·stan·ta·neous
ˌin(t)-stən-ˈtā-nē-əs
-nyəs
1
: happening in an instant
2
: done without delay
instantaneously
adverb
instantaneousness
noun
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