different between immediate vs punctual

English

Etymology

From Old French immediat, from Late Latin immedi?tus (“without anything between”), from Latin in + medi?tus, past participle of medi? (“to halve, to be in the middle”), from medius (“middle”)

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /??mi.di.?t/, /??mi.di.?t/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??mi?d??t/, /??mi?d??t/
• Hyphenation: im?me?di?ate

Adjective

immediate (comparative more immediate, superlative most immediate)

1. Happening right away, instantly, with no delay.

2. Very close; direct or adjacent.
   • c. 1600, William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act I, Scene 2,^[2]

     You are the most immediate to our throne,

3. Manifestly true; requiring no argument.
4. (computer science, of an instruction operand) embedded as part of the instruction itself, rather than stored elsewhere (such as a register or memory location)
5. (procedure word, military) Used to denote that a transmission is urgent.

6. (procedure word, military) An artillery fire mission modifier for to types of fire mission to denote an immediate need for fire: Immediate smoke, all guns involved must reload smoke and fire. Immediate suppression, all guns involved fire the rounds currently loaded and then switch to high explosive with impact fused (unless fuses are specified).

Synonyms

• (happening right away): instant, present; see also Thesaurus:instantaneous
• (very close): close, nearby; see also Thesaurus:near
• (manifestly true): self-evident, indubitable

Derived terms

• immediately

Related terms

• immediacy

Translations

Anagrams

• metiamide

Italian

Adjective

immediate f pl

1. feminine plural of immediato

Latin

Adjective

immedi?te

1. vocative masculine singular of immedi?tus

English

Alternative forms

• punctuall (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?p??ktj??l/, /?p??tj??l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?p??kt?u?l/, /?p??t?u?l/

Adjective

punctual (comparative more punctual, superlative most punctual)

1. Prompt; on time.
   1. (of an event) Happening at the appointed time
   2. (of a person) Acting at the appointed time

      Luis is never late; he's the most punctual person I know.

2. (mathematics) Existing as a point or series of points
3. (linguistics) Expressing momentary action that has no duration
4. (nonstandard, Euro-English) Periodic; occasional.

   The management of the above mentioned feed sectors is subject to close co-operation with the Member States through […] punctual expert groups meetings where appropriate.

5. (dated) Observing trivial points; punctilious.

Related terms

• point
• pointwise
• punctilious
• punctuate
• punctuality
• punctuation

Translations

Further reading

• punctual in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• punctual in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Romanian

Etymology

From French ponctuel

Adjective

punctual m or n (feminine singular punctual?, masculine plural punctuali, feminine and neuter plural punctuale)

1. punctual

Declension

Related terms

• punctualitate