What Does imminent Mean
Imminent is a term originating from the Latin word immĭnens which, in turn, produces de imminēre ( “to threaten” ). Specifically, we can determine that it is a word that is made up of three Latin elements:
• The prefix “in-”, which is used to indicate that something is inside or that it enters.
• The verb “minare”, which can be translated as “threaten”.
• The suffix “-nte”, which is used as a synonym for “agent”.
It is an adjective that is used to name what threatens or will happen shortly .
For example: "The experts consider that the eruption of the volcano is imminent" , "We have to put the house in order: the arrival of your parents is imminent" , "The coach knew that defeat was imminent and that he could do nothing to prevent it" .
The imminent, therefore, is something that will take place soon . There is no precise definition of the period of time that is considered imminent or soon, since its consideration will vary according to the context.
If an airplane begins to advance down the runway, it can be said that its takeoff will be imminent. The fact of starting to mobilize anticipates that everything is ready for the ship to take off, so takeoff will take place in the next few seconds.
Something imminent can also have a more extensive and even indefinite concretion. The coach of a soccer team confesses to a journalist that he will present his resignation in the next few hours. The reporter, therefore, reports that the coach will leave his club imminently. It is not known, however, when the resignation will become effective: it may be a few hours or, perhaps, a couple of days.
Within the field of cinema, the term that now occupies us has been used frequently. A good example of this is the film "Imminent execution", which was released in 1999. Clint Eastwood is the director and protagonist of this film that tells how a journalist discredited, due to his alcoholism, meets with a man who is going to be executed in short time.
That talk that they will have makes him think that perhaps the condemned man is innocent, so he starts an investigation against the clock to prevent the death of a person who has had nothing to do with the crimes he is charged with.
On the other hand, we come across the feature film "Imminent Danger", which was released in 1994. Philip Noyce is the filmmaker who went behind the cameras to carry out the filming of this story, starring Jack Ryan, played by Harrison Ford. He is the deputy director of the CIA and his mission is to try to discover what is behind the murder of some men who were friends of one of the most important drug traffickers. However, it will not be easy for him and his life will be in serious danger.
Finally, it is known as "Impending danger" to a book by the British Agatha Christie that was published in 1932 .