imminence
C1/C2Formal, literary, news/journalism, academic.
Definition
Meaning
the quality or state of being about to happen, especially something momentous or threatening.
A sense of impending occurrence, often used to describe an abstract concept of nearness in time.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Most commonly associated with events that are significant, often negative (like danger or disaster), but can be neutral. Rarely used for trivial or positive events.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or grammatical differences. Slight potential for variance in collocational frequency in press/corpus data.
Connotations
Identical connotations of impending, often ominous, events.
Frequency
Comparable low-to-mid frequency in both varieties; perhaps slightly more frequent in British literary/academic contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
the imminence of + NP (e.g., war, death, change)with a sense of imminencedue to the imminence ofVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A sword of Damocles”
- “Hanging by a thread”
- “The writing is on the wall”
- “A storm is brewing”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in risk assessment: 'The imminence of a market correction led to portfolio adjustments.'
Academic
In philosophy or political science: 'Analysing the imminence of revolutionary change.'
Everyday
Rare in casual conversation. Might appear in news discussions: 'Everyone felt the imminence of the storm.'
Technical
In meteorology or disaster management: 'Models predicted the imminence of landfall.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- (none – 'imminence' is a noun. The related verb is 'impend' but is archaic.)
American English
- (none – 'imminence' is a noun. The related verb is 'impend' but is archaic.)
adverb
British English
- The deadline is imminently approaching.
American English
- The software update is imminently available.
adjective
British English
- The imminent arrival of the train was announced.
American English
- The imminent release of the report has caused anxiety.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The dark clouds showed the imminence of rain.
- The constant sirens added to the feeling of imminence in the besieged city.
- Diplomats worked feverishly, acutely aware of the imminence of a full-scale conflict.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a MINI missile (IMMIN-ence) is about to hit you—it's impending and threatening.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS SPACE (the event is 'close' or 'upon us'); THREAT IS AN APPROACHING OBJECT.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque from Russian 'неизбежность' (inevitability). Imminence is about timing (about to happen), not certainty. The Russian word 'нависание' (looming) captures the metaphor better.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing with 'eminence' (fame). Using for positive events without context (e.g., 'the imminence of her wedding' sounds odd). Using as a countable noun (e.g., 'an imminence').
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'imminence' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. An 'emergency' is an actual serious situation. 'Imminence' is the state of being about to happen, which could precede an emergency.
It's possible but uncommon and can sound literary or ironic. It's strongly associated with threats. 'The imminence of her promotion' would be atypical.
'Imminence' is about timing (something is close in time). 'Urgency' is about importance and priority, requiring swift action, regardless of exact timing.
No, it's almost always used as an uncountable/abstract noun. You wouldn't say 'two imminences'.