instantaneous
adjective
in·stan·ta·neous
ˌin(t)-stən-ˈtā-nē-əs 
-nyəs
1
: done, occurring, or acting without any perceptible duration of time
death was instantaneous
2
: done without any delay being purposely introduced
took instantaneous corrective action
3
: occurring or present at a particular instant
instantaneous velocity
instantaneousness
noun
Examples of instantaneous in a Sentence
We got an almost instantaneous response from the company.
the thunder following the flash of lightning was nearly instantaneous
Recent Examples on the Web
What would The Canterbury Tales be if the pilgrimage from the Tabard Inn to the Shrine of Thomas Becket were instantaneous?
—
Emil Steiner, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
For one thing, events such as the Locarno fest’s Aug. 8 presentation of its Leopard Club career achievement award to Emma Thompson, draw far more coverage and generate more buzz in the age of instantaneous online media.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 11 Aug. 2025
If the comments and reaction videos on social media and seemingly instantaneous editorials are any indication, the new launch—which wraps around the chin and jawline, securing around the top of the head and behind the neck with velcro—hasn’t been met with universal excitement.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 31 July 2025
Its earliest days often tested out trial implementations of new standards and technologies—because nothing like the truly widespread, instantaneous, global scale of the Web had ever been rolled out before.
—Gabriel René, IEEE Spectrum, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for instantaneous
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Emil Steiner, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
For one thing, events such as the Locarno fest’s Aug. 8 presentation of its Leopard Club career achievement award to Emma Thompson, draw far more coverage and generate more buzz in the age of instantaneous online media.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 11 Aug. 2025
If the comments and reaction videos on social media and seemingly instantaneous editorials are any indication, the new launch—which wraps around the chin and jawline, securing around the top of the head and behind the neck with velcro—hasn’t been met with universal excitement.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 31 July 2025
Its earliest days often tested out trial implementations of new standards and technologies—because nothing like the truly widespread, instantaneous, global scale of the Web had ever been rolled out before.
—Gabriel René, IEEE Spectrum, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for instantaneous
Cite this Entry
“Instantaneous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instantaneous. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
instantaneous
adjective
in·stan·ta·neous
ˌin(t)-stən-ˈtā-nē-əs
-nyəs
1
: happening in an instant
2
: done without delay
instantaneously
adverb
instantaneousness
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share