Adjacent Words

Imminent definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

IM'MINENT, a. [L. imminens, from immineo, to hang over; in and minor, to threaten. See Menace.]
Literally, shooting over; hence, hanging over; impending; threatening; near; appearing as if about to fall on; used of evils; as imminent danger; imminent judgments, evils or death.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: close in time; about to occur; "retribution is at hand"; "some people believe the day of judgment is close at hand"; "in imminent danger"; "his impending retirement" [syn: at hand, close at hand, imminent, impendent, impending]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Latin imminent-, imminens, present participle of immin?re to project, threaten, from in- + -min?re (akin to Latin mont-, mons mountain) — more at mount Date: 1528 ready to take place; especially hanging threateningly over one's head <was in imminent danger of being run over> • imminently adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 (of an event, esp. danger) impending; about to happen. 2 archaic overhanging. Derivatives: imminence n. imminently adv. Etymology: L imminere imminent- overhang, project

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Imminent Im"mi*nent, a. [L. imminens, p. pr. of imminere to project; pref. im- in + minere (in comp.) to jut, project. See Eminent.] 1. Threatening to occur immediately; near at hand; impending; -- said especially of misfortune or peril. ``In danger imminent.'' --Spenser. 2. Full of danger; threatening; menacing; perilous. Hairbreadth scapes i' the imminent deadly breach. --Shak. 3. (With upon) Bent upon; attentive to. [R.] Their eyes ever imminent upon worldly matters. --Milton. Syn: Impending; threatening; near; at hand. Usage: Imminent, Impending, Threatening. Imminent is the strongest: it denotes that something is ready to fall or happen on the instant; as, in imminent danger of one's life. Impending denotes that something hangs suspended over us, and may so remain indefinitely; as, the impending evils of war. Threatening supposes some danger in prospect, but more remote; as, threatening indications for the future. Three times to-day You have defended me from imminent death. --Shak. No story I unfold of public woes, Nor bear advices of impending foes. --Pope. Fierce faces threatening war. --Milton.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

If you say that something is imminent, especially something unpleasant, you mean it is almost certain to happen very soon. There appeared no imminent danger... ADJ • imminence The imminence of war was on everyone's mind. N-UNCOUNT: usu N of n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Impending, threatening, impendent, near at hand. 2. Threatening harm, perilous, dangerous, alarming.

Moby Thesaurus

about to be, abusive, advancing, alarming, already in sight, anticipated, approaching, approximate, approximative, at hand, attracted to, awaited, bludgeoning, blustering, brewing, browbeating, bulldozing, bullying, close, close at hand, coming, comminatory, denunciatory, desired, destinal, destined, determined, drawn to, due, emergent, eventual, expected, extrapolated, fatal, fated, fatidic, fear-inspiring, foreboding, foreseen, forthcoming, future, futuristic, gathering, going to happen, hectoring, hereafter, hoped-for, immediate, impendent, impending, in danger imminent, in prospect, in reserve, in store, in the cards, in the offing, in the wind, in view, ineluctable, inescapable, inevasible, inevitable, instant, intimidating, later, likely, long-expected, looming, lowering, lurking, menacing, minacious, minatory, momentary, near, near at hand, nearing, nigh, ominous, on the horizon, oncoming, overdue, overhanging, pending, planned, plotted, possible, predicted, preparing, presumed, probable, projected, promised, prophesied, prospective, proximate, sinister, terroristic, terrorizing, that will be, threatening, threatful, to come, to-be, ultimate, unavoidable, upcoming, waiting