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
By establishing secure, aggregated data-sharing APIs with the BLS, payroll processors could provide a near-instantaneous and comprehensive view of both W-2 and 1099 employment.
—
Jeff Gapusan, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Its four-dimensional LiDAR even measures instantaneous velocity, allowing vehicles and robots to make safer, smarter decisions.
—Ni Tao, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2025
Our testing has shown that the cellular Starlink service is sometimes instantaneous but occasionally takes several minutes to send a text message.
—PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2025
The position, size and type of injury hinted at a small but fast-moving object; a larger object would have caused more serious damage, and death probably would have been instantaneous, the study authors reported.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for instantaneous
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Jeff Gapusan, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Its four-dimensional LiDAR even measures instantaneous velocity, allowing vehicles and robots to make safer, smarter decisions.
—Ni Tao, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2025
Our testing has shown that the cellular Starlink service is sometimes instantaneous but occasionally takes several minutes to send a text message.
—PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2025
The position, size and type of injury hinted at a small but fast-moving object; a larger object would have caused more serious damage, and death probably would have been instantaneous, the study authors reported.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 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 20 Sep. 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
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