instantaneously
part of speech
adverb (instantaneously; from the adjective instantaneous)
meaning for a pupil
1) Immediately, with no time at all passing in between. tree →
2) (science) At one exact instant of time, rather than over a period. tree →
sense in the lessons
A more formal word for «instantly» or «at once». In science it is used for very fast events (light seems to arrive instantaneously over short distances) and for values at one moment («instantaneous speed» is the speed at one exact moment, like on a speedometer). In stories it shows sudden action. Phrases: «almost instantaneously», «happen instantaneously».
examples
- When I pressed the switch, the light came on instantaneously. tree →
- The message reached my friend in Australia almost instantaneously. tree →
- The lizard's tongue shot out and caught the fly instantaneously. tree →
- Ice cream melts quickly in the sun, but not instantaneously. tree →
- The crowd reacted instantaneously when the goal went in. tree →
- We see lightning almost instantaneously, but the thunder takes longer to reach us. tree →
- Nothing travels truly instantaneously; even light takes time. tree →
- The grain of sand is found and brought, and the result is that the whole of the monstrous brood of Trolls or Haugebasser is instantaneously destroyed. tree →
note
Stress: in-stan-TAY-nee-us-lee. Spelling trap: -aneous-, not -anious-. «Instantly» is the everyday word. Do not confuse with «simultaneously» (at the same time as something else). In maths and science, speed at an instant (instantaneous speed) can differ from average speed: a car averaging 40 mph may be doing 60 mph at one instant.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «instantaneously» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.