imminence

UK: /ˈɪmɪnəns/ US: (im′ə nəns)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

im•mi•nence  (im′ə nəns), n. 

1. Also, im′mi•nen•cy. the state or condition of being imminent or impending:
   the imminence of war.
2. something that is imminent, esp. an impending evil or danger.

• Late Latin imminentia. See imminent, -ence
• 1600–10

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

im•mi•nent /ˈɪmənənt/   adj. 

1. likely to occur at any moment:
   the imminent collapse of communism.

im•mi•nence, n. [uncountable]
im•mi•nent•ly, adv. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

im•mi•nent  (im′ə nənt), adj. 

1. likely to occur at any moment;
   impending:
   Her death is imminent.
2. projecting or leaning forward;
   overhanging.

• Latin imminent- (stem of imminēns), present participle of imminēre to overhang, equivalent. to im- im-¹ + -min- from a base meaning "jut out, project, rise'' (compare eminent, mount²) + -ent- -ent
• 1520–30

im′mi•nent•ly, adv. 
im′mi•nent•ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. near, at hand.
  Imminent, Impending, Threatening all may carry the implication of menace, misfortune, disaster, but they do so in differing degrees.
  Imminent may portend evil:
  an imminent catastrophe,
  but also may mean simply "about to happen'':
  The merger is imminent.
  Impending has a weaker sense of immediacy and threat than imminent:
  Real tax relief legislation is impending,
  but it too may be used in situations portending disaster:
  impending social upheaval; to dread the impending investigation.
  Threatening almost always suggests ominous warning and menace:
  a threatening sky just before the tornado struck.

Antonyms

• 1. distant, remote.