immediately however

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "immediately however" is not correct and does not work well in written English.
It is generally used to indicate a contrast or exception, but "immediately" and "however" together create a conflicting meaning. Example: "The project was due yesterday; immediately however, we received an extension."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Academia

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Almost immediately, however, they became a couple.

The New York Times

Almost immediately, however, conspiracy theories began.

Britannica

Almost immediately, however, he became a Manhattan Project team leader.

The Guardian

Nothing happened immediately, however, and the volunteers were sent home.

Britannica

It's replaced immediately, however, with the next question.

The Washington Post

He immediately, however, produced three aces to win the next game.

The New York Times - Sports

More immediately, however, they are waging war against each another, more or less along sectarian lines.

The New Yorker

Almost immediately, however, consumers started confusing the government-authorized site, AnnualCreditReport.com, with Experian's freecreditreport.com site.

The New York Times

Almost immediately, however, the plaza began falling victim to its success.

The New York Times

Mr. Garrison knew immediately, however, that he had made the right decision.

The New York Times

Dunkirk found trouble in the Derby immediately, however, and finished 11th.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "immediately however" together; choose one or the other, or rephrase the sentence for better clarity.

Common error

Using "immediately however" creates a contradictory meaning; "immediately" suggests no delay, while "however" introduces a contrast or exception, making the phrase awkward and confusing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "immediately however" functions as a conjunction attempting to link two conflicting ideas. It aims to convey that something happened without delay, yet a contrast or exception exists. However, Ludwig AI analysis and usage examples reveal this combination is grammatically incorrect, creating an awkward and contradictory meaning.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

47%

Encyclopedias

13%

Academia

9%

Less common in

Science

7%

Wiki

4%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

While the phrase "immediately however" appears frequently across various sources, including news media and encyclopedias, Ludwig AI analysis indicates that it is grammatically incorrect. It tries to combine the sense of immediacy with a contrasting element but creates a contradictory meaning. It's best to use alternative phrasing such as "but immediately" or to rephrase the sentence to maintain clarity. To maintain grammatical correctness, avoid placing "immediately" and "however" directly next to each other.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

but immediately

Reverses the order for emphasis on the contrast.

instantly but

Substitutes "immediately" with "instantly".

yet at once

Replaces both words with near synonyms.

however, right away

Inverts the word order and replaces "immediately".

at once, nevertheless

Replaces "immediately" with "at once" and "however" with "nevertheless".

right away, nonetheless

Substitutes "immediately" and "however" for clarity.

quickly, on the other hand

Uses "quickly" as a substitute and replaces "however" with a longer phrase.

instantly, despite that

Replaces both words with similar but distinct alternatives.

straightaway, even so

Employs less common synonyms to convey a similar meaning.

at once, be that as it may

Replaces "immediately" with "at once" and "however" with a more formal phrase.

FAQs

What is the problem with using "immediately however" together?

The phrase "immediately however" is awkward because "immediately" implies no delay, while "however" introduces a contrast, creating a contradictory meaning. Consider using alternatives for better clarity.

What can I use instead of "immediately however" to show contrast?

To show contrast, you can use alternatives like "but immediately", "yet at once", or rephrase the sentence to separate the immediate action from the contrast.

Is there a difference between "immediately" and "however" when used separately?

"Immediately" means without delay, while "however" introduces a contrast or exception. Using them together is grammatically awkward. Consider using each word in separate clauses, or choosing other alternatives that convey contrast such as "nevertheless".

How can I correctly use "immediately" and "however" in a sentence?

Use "immediately" to describe an action that happens without delay, and "however" to introduce a contrasting statement. Avoid placing them directly next to each other. For example: "He responded immediately; "however", his answer was not what we expected".