Imminent means (1) very near or (2) impending. Immanent means (1) existing within or (2) inherent. The adjectives are easily confused, for obvious reasons. Immanent in particular is almost never used correctly because it’s so rarely useful. A third word, the near-homophone eminent, is also in the mix. See below for more.
Examples
Immanent is often misused in place of the more common imminent—for example:
The law enforcement unions have yet to finalize their contract but it appears that approval is immanent. [The Pine Tree]
My first sightings parsnips and celeriac, along with pumpkins, mums and gourds, the last 3 being prominent in my childhood Sukkah, reminded me of the immanent change in season … [Huffington Post]
And these are examples of correct immanent and imminent usage:
We, as thinking-acting-being students of liberal arts, must reconcile some things immanent to our existence. [The Occidental Weekly]
The authorities have studied all the available intelligence and “the conclusion overall is that there’s no concrete evidence of imminent attacks in Germany.” [Bloomberg]
The Diaoyu islands, including its affiliated islands, have been China’s immanent territory since ancient times, and China enjoys indisputable sovereignty over these islands. [People's Daily]
WSJ: Blockbuster Bankruptcy Filing Imminent [Headline, Home Media Magazine]
Eminent
Eminent means of high rank, noteworthy, distinguished, or prominent. It’s sometimes mistakenly used in place of imminent—for example:
Thanksgiving’s eminent arrival gives us reason to consider the origins of the food on our plates, and recognize those who put it there. [Guelph Mercury]
But the reverse error is much more common, especially when it comes to the mistaken usage of imminently in place of eminently:
While definitely not for everyone, it is also an arresting and imminently watchable work of jaundiced genius. [Pop Matters]
She is imminently qualified from a professional standpoint. [Oregon City News]
