inminente

Inminente is a Spanish adjective that describes something that is about to happen or become real soon. It conveys immediacy and potential impact, often with a sense of urgency. The term is commonly used for events, changes, or conditions likely to occur in the near future, and it does not specify an exact time frame.

From Latin imminēns, the present participle of imminēre, meaning to threaten or to hang over, the word entered Spanish with the sense of looming before one’s eyes. Through the Romance language lineage, inminente acquired its current meaning of near-at-hand.

Used in formal, journalistic, and legal contexts as well as meteorology and public safety, for example: una tormenta inminente, un peligro inminente, un cambio inminente. In everyday speech, it may be replaced by palabras como próximo or cercano when a softer nuance is preferred; in contrast, inminente emphasizes urgency and immediacy.

Related forms include inminencia, a noun referring to the state of being imminent, and inminentemente as the corresponding adverb. Common collocations include amenaza inminente, peligro inminente, efecto inminente, and plazo inminente.

Examples: La tormenta es inminente; la firma del acuerdo es inminente; el cierre de la frontera fue anunciado como inminente. Inminente is a useful term in discussing deadlines, safety warnings, or impending developments where the imminence of events is a focal point.