instantly

1 of 2

adverb

in·​stant·​ly ˈin(t)-stənt-lē How to pronounce instantly (audio)
1
: without the least delay : immediately
2
: with importunity : urgently

instantly

2 of 2

conjunction

: as soon as
he ran across the grass instantly he perceived his motherW. M. Thackeray

Examples of instantly in a Sentence

Adverb His voice is instantly recognizable. They instantly fell in love. She was killed instantly when her car hit a tree. Conjunction we realized there would be problems instantly we saw the final report
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adverb
For example, predictive AI instantly decides whether to allow each credit card charge, whereas the wholesale replacement of physicians with machines is a very long way off at best. Eric Siegel, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025 Users can send and receive it across borders instantly. Wale Ayeni, semafor.com, 14 July 2025 Tisch now needs to combine high-touch personal policing with high-tech advances that could instantly make a difference in enhancing the quality of life for most New Yorkers. Steve Cohen, New York Daily News, 13 July 2025 Their use has grown rapidly in recent years, and proponents say they could be used to send payments instantly. Niket Nishant, USA Today, 12 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for instantly

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English, from instant instant entry 2 + -ly -ly entry 2

Conjunction

derivative of instantly entry 1

First Known Use

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Conjunction

1793, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of instantly was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Instantly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/instantly. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

instantly

adverb
in·​stant·​ly
ˈin(t)-stənt-lē
: without delay : immediately
came instantly when I called

More from Merriam-Webster on instantly

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