immediately thereafter

USAGE SUMMARY

'immediately thereafter' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to express a sequence of events, meaning that something happened without a significant amount of time passing between them. For example: The police officer ordered the suspect to put their hands up, and immediately thereafter, the suspect obeyed.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The revival began almost immediately thereafter.

The New Yorker

Immediately thereafter the creditor sells its shares.

The New York Times

Immediately thereafter, he began receiving death threats.

The New York Times - Magazine

Immediately thereafter trouble broke out in Hungary.

The New York Times

D'Arcy retired from active business immediately thereafter.

Britannica

Immediately thereafter, the subject is asked to recall the words.

Nature

Vilsack immediately thereafter scrambles to defend the injurious practice.

The Economist

Immediately thereafter, imperial policy supported the Exclusionist position.

Encyclopedia Britannica

But everyone was expected in church for lauds at 6 a.m. and for Mass immediately thereafter.

The New York Times

The downside is that immediately thereafter someone unknown to them will die.

The Guardian - Film

Immediately thereafter, however, the Young Socialist Alliance broke forth with a complicated new issue, concerning credentials.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "immediately thereafter" to clearly establish a chronological sequence where the timing between events is crucial.

Common error

While "immediately thereafter" is correct, avoid using it excessively in informal writing. Simpler alternatives like "right after" or "soon after" may be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "immediately thereafter" functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a verb or clause. Ludwig AI confirms that it indicates the timing of an action or event in direct succession to a prior action or event.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

32%

Science

32%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Formal & Business

2%

Academia

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "immediately thereafter" is a grammatically sound and widely used adverbial phrase, as Ludwig AI suggests. It serves to highlight the chronological sequence of events with emphasis on minimal delay. While very common in formal contexts such as news, science and encyclopedias it can be replaced by less formal constructions like "right after" or "soon after" in less formal scenarios. The key to using "immediately thereafter" effectively lies in understanding its formal tone and employing it when precision and emphasis on timing are desired.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

immediately afterwards

Replaces 'thereafter' with 'afterwards', a common synonym, maintaining the same sense of immediacy.

directly afterward

Uses 'directly' for emphasis on the immediacy, and 'afterward' as a simpler alternative to 'thereafter'.

right after that

More informal, using 'right after' to convey the sense of immediacy and 'that' to refer to the preceding event.

subsequently

A more concise and formal term indicating that something follows in time.

promptly afterward

Emphasizes the speed and lack of delay between the two events.

shortly afterward

Indicates that the second event occurred a brief time after the first.

instantaneously following that

More emphatic and formal, heightening the sense of immediacy.

in the immediate aftermath

Focuses on the period directly following an event, suggesting a close causal connection.

on the heels of that

Idiomatic expression indicating that the second event closely followed the first.

without delay

Highlights the absence of any waiting period between the events.

FAQs

How can I use "immediately thereafter" in a sentence?

You can use "immediately thereafter" to indicate that something happens right after something else. For example: "The bell rang, and "immediately thereafter", the students left the classroom."

What are some alternatives to "immediately thereafter"?

Some alternatives include "immediately afterwards", "right after that", "subsequently", or "shortly afterward".

Is "immediately thereafter" formal or informal?

"Immediately thereafter" is considered a more formal phrase. In informal contexts, you might prefer using alternatives such as "right after" or "straight after."

Can "immediately thereafter" be used in all contexts?

While grammatically correct in most contexts, "immediately thereafter" is best suited for formal writing or when emphasizing the direct and swift succession of events. Simpler alternatives might be more appropriate in casual conversation.