adjectiveadverb

unmittelbar

immediately · immediate · direct

Etwas passiert direkt, ohne Abstand, ohne Umweg oder Verzögerung.

Definition & meaning

Unmittelbar is an adjective or adverb meaning immediate, direct, without an intermediary, or very close.

It has several related meanings:

Immediate in time — happening at once or with no delay.
- unmittelbar nach dem Essen = immediately after the meal
- unmittelbare Reaktion = immediate reaction
Direct, without mediation — involving no intermediate person, step, or institution.
- unmittelbarer Kontakt = direct contact
- unmittelbare Demokratie = direct democracy
Very close in space or relationship — directly adjacent or closely connected.
- in unmittelbarer Nähe = in the immediate vicinity
- unmittelbare Nachbarschaft = immediate neighborhood

As an adverb, it can mean directly or immediately:

Das betrifft mich unmittelbar. = That affects me directly.

Grammar & Word origin

Unmittelbar is an adjective and an adverb.

As an adjective, it takes normal adjective endings:

unmittelbarer Kontakt = immediate contact
unmittelbare Reaktion = immediate reaction
unmittelbares Ergebnis = immediate result

Its comparative forms are:

unmittelbarer = more immediate or more direct
am unmittelbarsten = most immediate or most direct

The word consists of the prefix un-, expressing negation, and mittelbar , meaning indirect or mediated. Literally, it conveys the idea of “not mediated” or “not going through a middle stage.”

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

sofortig — immediate, especially with emphasis on something happening at once; it is more strongly focused on time.
direkt — direct, especially without an intermediary; it is often the closest synonym when referring to communication, influence, or routes.
unverzüglich — without delay; more formal and mainly concerned with prompt action.
augenblicklich — instantaneous or happening at this very moment; it often emphasizes extreme speed.
nah — near or close; it usually refers to physical or emotional distance rather than lack of mediation.

Antonyms

mittelbar — indirect or mediated; this is the most precise structural opposite.
indirekt — indirect; it contrasts with direct communication, influence, or routes.
verzögert — delayed; it is the temporal opposite when unmittelbar means happening without delay.
entfernt — distant or remote; it is the spatial opposite when unmittelbar means very close.