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Immediately vs Already - What's the difference?

immediately | already |

As adverbs the difference between immediately and already

is that immediately is in an immediate manner; instantly or without delay while already is prior to some specified time, either past, present, or future; by this time; previously.

As a conjunction immediately

is .

immediately

English

Adverb

(-)
  • In an immediate manner; instantly or without delay.
  • I hope we can begin immediately .
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=November 12 , author= , title=International friendly: England 1-0 Spain , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Spain failed to move through the gears despite exerting control for lengthy spells and a measure of perspective must be applied immediately to the outcome.}}

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Conjunction

    (English Conjunctions)
  • Synonyms

    * as soon as * directly after, after, right after, etc.

    already

    English

    Adverb

    (-)
  • Prior to some specified time, either past, present, or future; by this time; previously.
  • {{quote-Fanny Hill, part=6 , slipping then my cloaths off, I crept under the bed-cloaths, where I found the young stripling already nestled, and the touch of his warm flesh rather pleas'd than alarm'd me.}}
  • * (Arthur Conan Doyle)
  • It was already dusk, and the lamps were just being lighted as we paced up and down in front of Briony Lodge, waiting for the coming of its occupant.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-20, volume=408, issue=8845, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Welcome to the plastisphere , passage=Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field.}}
  • So soon.
  • (US) Influenced by (etyl) An intensifier used to emphasize impatience or express exasperation.
  • Usage notes

    Already may be used with the present perfect (I have already done that''), the past perfect (''I had already done it by then''), the future perfect (''When you arrive, the business will already have been completed'') or the simple future (''When you arrive, the business will already be complete ).

    See also

    * yet

    Statistics

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