Etymograph

English

immediately

Immediately comes from Middle English immediatly.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500immediatly1
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1921immediately1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English immediately
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1921, DH Lawrence, Women in Love: “Immediately he saw the firm, he realised what he…”.

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500immediatlyWiktionary, English immediately
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1921immediatelyWiktionary, English immediately. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1921, DH Lawrence, Women in Love: “Immediately he saw the firm, he realised what he…”

Every English word from Middle English immediatly

Today it means

adv In an immediate manner; instantly or without delay.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “immediately”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Middle English immediatly / immediately

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