Immediate vs. Mediate — What's the Difference?

Closest in relationship or proximity.

To bring about a result through an intermediary or instrumentality.

Next in line or succession.

Acting through, by, or with an intervening agency.

Occurring or done without delay; direct.

Involving a middle or intermediate agency; not direct.

Without intervening medium or agent; directly.

To intervene between people or in a dispute to bring about an agreement.

Present; current.

To be a medium or channel for.

Occurring at once; happening without delay

To resolve or settle (differences) by working with all the conflicting parties

Of or near the present time

To bring about (a settlement, for example) by working with all the conflicting parties.

Of or relating to the present time and place; current

To effect or convey as an intermediate agent or mechanism

Close at hand; near

(Physics) To convey (a force) between subatomic particles.

Next in line or relation

To work with two or more disputants in order to bring about an agreement, settlement, or compromise.

Acting or occurring without the interposition of another agency or object; direct

To settle or reconcile differences

Happening right away, instantly, with no delay.

To have a relation to two differing persons, groups, or things

Very close; direct or adjacent.

Acting through, involving, or dependent on an intervening agency.

Manifestly true; requiring no argument.

Being in a middle position.

Embedded as part of the instruction itself, rather than stored elsewhere (such as a register or memory location).

(transitive) To resolve differences, or to bring about a settlement, between conflicting parties.

Used to denote that a transmission is urgent.

(intransitive) To intervene between conflicting parties in order to resolve differences or bring about a settlement.

An artillery fire mission modifier for to types of fire mission to denote an immediate need for fire: Immediate smoke, all guns involved must reload smoke and fire. Immediate suppression, all guns involved fire the rounds currently loaded and then switch to high explosive with impact fused (unless fuses are specified).

To divide into two equal parts.

Not separated in respect to place by anything intervening; proximate; close; as, immediate contact.

To act as an intermediary causal or communicative agent; to convey.

Not deferred by an interval of time; present; instant.

To act as a spiritualistic medium.

Acting with nothing interposed or between, or without the intervention of another object as a cause, means, or agency; acting, perceived, or produced, directly; as, an immediate cause.

Acting through a mediating agency, indirect.

Very close or connected in space or time;

Intermediate between extremes.

Having no intervening medium;

Gained or effected by a medium or condition.

Immediately before or after as in a chain of cause and effect;

Being between the two extremes; middle; interposed; intervening; intermediate.

Of the present time and place;

Acting by means, or by an intervening cause or instrument; not direct or immediate; acting or suffering through an intervening agent or condition.

Performed with little or no delay;

Gained or effected by a medium or condition.

To be in the middle, or between two; to intervene.

To interpose between parties, as the equal friend of each, esp. for the purpose of effecting a reconciliation or agreement; as, to mediate between nations.

To effect by mediation or interposition; to bring about as a mediator, instrument, or means; as, to mediate a peace.

To divide into two equal parts.

Act between parties with a view to reconciling differences;

Occupy an intermediate or middle position or form a connecting link or stage between two others;

Acting through or dependent on an intervening agency;

Being neither at the beginning nor at the end in a series;

Immediate feedback is crucial in learning environments as it allows learners to quickly understand and correct their mistakes.

In medicine, immediate often refers to care or interventions that are urgent and provided without any delay.

A mediator facilitates negotiation and agreement between parties, aiming to resolve disputes by finding acceptable solutions.

Yes, many processes involve both immediate and mediate actions, such as emergency response systems where immediate actions are supported by mediate planning and logistics.

Mediate communication can sometimes lead to misunderstandings due to the involvement of intermediaries who may alter or filter information.

Immediate actions are typically quick and may be difficult to reverse, especially if they produce instant results.

Mediate knowledge helps individuals build deeper understanding and perspective by connecting various information sources and analyses.

Immediate assistance in emergencies is vital as it can prevent further harm and address critical situations promptly.

In legal disputes, mediation involves a neutral third party who helps the disputing parties reach a mutually satisfactory settlement.

In technology, mediate effects include data processing and analysis that require time before results are presented to the end-user.