imminent

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See also: imminént

English

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Wikipedia

Etymology

From the present participle of Latin imminēre (to overhang), from mineō ("to project, overhang"), related to minae (English menace) and mons (English mount). Compare with eminent.

Pronunciation

Adjective

imminent (comparative more imminent, superlative most imminent)

  1. About to happen, occur, or take place very soon, especially of something which won't last long.
    • 1927, Whitney v. California:
      To courageous, self-reliant men, with confidence in the power of free and fearless reasoning applied through the processes of popular government, no danger flowing from speech can be deemed clear and present unless the incidence of the evil apprehended is so imminent that it may befall before there is opportunity for full discussion.
    • 2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948, page 42:
      The Second World War was reaching fever pitch, with the entire Allied effort in top gear for the imminent invasion of Europe, while later that month buzz bombs would start falling on London.

Usage notes

  • Imminent and eminent are very similar sounds, and are weak rhymes; in dialects with the pin-pen merger, these become homophones. A typo of either word may result in a correction to the wrong word by spellchecking software. Imminent is also sometimes confused with immanent (which see).
  • Said of danger, threat and death.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

Anagrams

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin imminentem (projecting, overhanging; threatening, menacing).

Adjective

imminent m or f (masculine and feminine plural imminents)

  1. imminent

Derived terms

Further reading

French

Etymology

From Latin imminentem.

Pronunciation

Adjective

imminent (feminine imminente, masculine plural imminents, feminine plural imminentes)

  1. imminent

Derived terms

Further reading

Latin

Verb

imminent

  1. third-person plural present active indicative of immineō