umiddelbar

Umiddelbar is a Norwegian adjective meaning immediate, without delay, or directly in time or space. It describes something that occurs or exists with no intervening time, distance, or intermediary. The term is commonly used for reactions, consequences, or proximity, as in an immediate reaction, immediate danger, or immediate proximity to a source.

Historically, umiddelbar is of Germanic origin and shares cognates with Danish umiddelbar. The adverb form is umiddelbart, used to modify verbs. In modern Norwegian it appears in both formal and everyday language.

The word conveys immediacy more than mere directness. It is often used to emphasize lack of delay or mediation, for example in legal or administrative contexts describing imminent threats or consequences, or in social contexts referring to close ties, such as one’s umiddelbare familie (closest relatives). It can contrast with synonyms like direkte (direct) or rask (quick), depending on the nuance desired.

Eksempel: Han tok en umiddelbar beslutning. Situasjonen krevde umiddelbar handling. Hun fikk umiddelbar beskjed om forsinkelsen. Begrepet brukes også i uttrykk som umiddelbar familie omfatter ektefelle, barn og foreldre.

Se også: umiddelbart (adverb), umiddelbarhet (immediacy).