I was looking for the correct spelling for a term (immanent) that means ‘impending’ but the definition doesn’t fit- When I look it up I get “existing within, inherent, subjective” etc. And of course, ‘eminent’ means outstanding. So have I just mis-used the word all my life (or maybe attached the wrong meaning to it when I’ve heard it) or is it a different spelling or what?
The word you are looking for is “imminent = ready to take place.”
imminent: impending, approaching, forthcoming ( from Latin in, upon and minere, to project).
immanent: dwelling within, pervading, inherent ( from Latin in, in and manere, to remain).
Ya know, given our bellicose impulses, immanent ain’t so far off the mark…
Wouldn’t it be more correct to say “a war is imminent”, until it actually starts.
Okay, so now I feel really stupid; if only I had thought of one more spelling (or looked down the page a little farther)! It was really bugging me because I saw this in a local paper and it didn’t look right, so I immediately began trying to find it. THANKS!
I would say that, the supposed imminent Iraq danger to the US is really only immanent.