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

Shattered is akin to a war diary, prizing immediacy above all else. —Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2025

The immediacy of the order was a surprise to many in the global health sector. —Melody Schreiber, NPR, 25 Jan. 2025

Meanwhile, new media platforms excel at immediacy, relatability and engagement. —Jeffrey Herzog, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025

The accessibility and immediacy are part of what drives people to social media for their news. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 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