immediate
immediate は英検準2級・英検2級・TOEIC 730・TOEFL 60・IELTS 5.5レベルの英単語で、「即時の、近親の、すぐ近くの、直近の、至近の」という意味があります。発音記号は /ɪˈmiːdɪət/ です。
即時の
解説 Definition
時間をほとんど置かず、すぐに起こることや、直ちに必要とされることを表す形容詞。対応・反応・危険・効果などについて、遅れが許されない切迫した状態を示す。文脈によっては「直接の」「すぐ隣接した」という意味でも使われる。
Immediate means happening at once or without delay. It is used for actions, needs, results, or reactions that are very quick. It can also mean the closest or most direct in time or importance.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
immediate は「間に何も入らない」という感覚から、「時間を置かない」「すぐ必要な」を表します。immediate action / immediate response / immediate medical attention のように、対応や処置が遅れると問題になる場面でよく使います。fast は単に速度が速い、prompt は反応がきびきびしている感じですが、immediate は待ち時間をほぼ許さない切迫感が中心です。
Think of immediate as having nothing in between. In this meaning, it describes something that happens or is needed with almost no delay. Learn it in chunks such as immediate response, immediate action, immediate danger, and immediate medical attention. It is not just fast; it often sounds urgent.
例文
There was immediate action taken by the government.
政府は即時の措置を講じた。
The immediate response saved the situation.
即座の対応が状況を救った。
He needs immediate medical attention.
彼には即時の医療処置が必要だ。
近親の
(意味 2)解説 Definition
家族・親族の中でも、とくに親や子、兄弟姉妹、配偶者などのごく近い関係を表す形容詞。法律、医療、手続きの案内で immediate family や immediate relative の形でよく使われ、遠い親戚はふつう含まない。
Immediate can describe family members or relatives who are very closely connected to you, such as parents, children, brothers, sisters, or a spouse. It is often used in formal contexts like law, medicine, company rules, and application forms in phrases such as immediate family or immediate relative. Distant relatives are usually not included.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
まず immediate response / immediate action / immediate danger / immediate need をひとかたまりで覚えると、"すぐ必要・すぐ起こる"感覚が定着します。単に fast というより、「待てない」「遅れがまずい」という切迫感を帯びやすい語です。副詞は immediately。似た語では instant は一瞬で起こる感じ、prompt は対応が素早い感じ。immediate は時間の間がほぼなく、問題・効果・原因が目の前に直接つながっている、というイメージで整理すると混同しにくいです。
For this meaning, connect immediate with the idea of “nothing in between.” Your immediate family means the closest family members, like parents, children, siblings, or a spouse. This is different from distant relatives, because the relationship is direct and very close.
例文
Only immediate family members are allowed to visit the patient after surgery.
手術後に患者を見舞えるのは近親者だけです。
Please list the names of your immediate relatives on this form.
この用紙に近親者の名前を記入してください。
The company offers emergency leave when an employee's immediate family member becomes seriously ill.
従業員の近親者が重病になった場合、会社は緊急休暇を認めています。
すぐ近くの
(意味 3)解説 Definition
場所・範囲・関係が、対象のすぐそばにあることを表します。immediate area は「周辺地域」、immediate family は「近親者」のように、距離やつながりが最も近いものに使います。
Immediate can describe something that is very close to a person, place, or thing, with no real distance in between. It is often used for the nearest area, group, or connection, as in immediate area or immediate family. In this sense, it shows the closest range or relationship, not something farther away or less directly connected.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
immediate は im-「ない」+ medius「中間の」が元で、「間に何もはさまない」が核です。時間なら immediate response「即座の返答」、場所や関係なら immediate area「すぐ近くの地域」や immediate family「近親者」と使います。near は単に近いこと、immediate は距離・時間・関係が直接続いている感じです。
Think of immediate as meaning "with no middle." If there is no middle space, something is right next to you or directly connected to you. That is why immediate area means the nearest place, and immediate family means the closest family members.
例文
Please stay in the immediate area until your name is called.
名前が呼ばれるまで、すぐ近くの場所にいてください。
Only his immediate family knew about the move at first.
その引っ越しのことを最初に知っていたのは、近しい家族だけでした。
The museum is closed, but there are several cafes in the immediate neighborhood.
その美術館は閉まっていますが、すぐ近くの地域にはカフェがいくつかあります。
直近の、至近の
(意味 4)解説 Definition
物理的にすぐそばにあるものや、順序・関係が一つ隔たりなく直接つながるものを表す形容詞。場所の近さだけでなく、「すぐ次の出口」「直属の上司」のように、間に別の段階や人を挟まない近さ・直接性を示すときにも使う。
Immediate describes something that is very close in space, time, order, or relationship. It can mean the next thing with nothing in between, such as the next exit or a direct manager. It often suggests that there is no delay, no extra step, or no other person or thing separating the two.
例文
Please contact your immediate supervisor if you have any questions.
質問があれば直属の上司に連絡してください。
Take the immediate left after the bridge.
橋を渡ったらすぐ左に曲がってください。
The company must deal with its immediate financial problems first.
その会社はまず直近の財政問題に対処しなければならない。
immediate の語源・成り立ち Etymology
immediate はラテン語 immediatus に由来し、in-「〜でない」+ medius「中間の」を含み、「間に何もない」が原義です。そこから時間や距離の隔たりがない「即時の」となり、mediate や medium を合わせて覚えると腑に落ちます。
Immediate comes from Latin immediatus, built from in- meaning "not" and medius meaning "middle." Its original sense was "with nothing in between." From that, it came to mean something with no delay or distance, either in time or space. It is related to mediate and medium.
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