immanent

English

Etymology

Entered English around 1530, via French, from Late Latin immanēns, present participle of Latin immanēre, from im- (“in”) + manēre (“to dwell, remain, stay”). Cognate with remain and manor.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɪmənənt/
• (US)

  (file)

• Homophone: imminent (many dialects)

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Adjective

immanent (comparative more immanent, superlative most immanent)

1. Naturally part of something; existing throughout and within something; intrinsic.
   • 1893, John Ming, The Idea of Evolution; American Catholic Quarterly Review, Volume 18:

     The theory of evolution, as thus set forth, the theory of the evolution of all from one self-existent immanent principle, is nowadays considered not only as the fullest explanation ever given of the unity and order of the universe, being a system of perfect monism, plainly reasoned out in all its details, but also the only one which, as overcoming any kind of dualism, gives satisfaction to the human mind. For, if one and the self-same principle is not the source of all, existing unity cannot prevail throughout creation. If this one principle is not supposed to be immanent in the world, nature is not explained from itself, but rather is rendered unintelligible; that which is plain and visible in it being accounted for by something unseen and unknown. And, if this one immanent principle is not regarded as absolutely independent and self-existent, it becomes necessary to conceive of the universe as conditioned without perceiving any cause or condition on which it is dependent, and to ascribe the orderly and constant succession of phenomena, not to an agent working according to law, but to arbitrary creative will.

2. (philosophy) Of something which has always already been.
3. Restricted entirely to the mind or a given domain; internal; subjective.
   • 1872, Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, volume 2, page 537:

     We are born, as the Apostle says, the children of wrath. It is not an impersonal nature which is guilty, for this would be a contradiction, but persons whose immanent, subjective state is opposed to the character and law of God.

4. (philosophy, metaphysics, theology, of a deity) Existing within and throughout the mind and the world; dwelling within and throughout all things, all time, etc. Compare transcendent.
5. (philosophy, of a mental act) Taking place entirely within the mind of the subject and having no effect outside of it. Compare emanant, transeunt.
   • 1846, James Richards, Lectures on Mental Philosophy and Theology:

     At the same time it has been common, and we intend to show that it is important, to distinguish one class of volitions from another. Those which terminate on some action of our own, have been called deliberate acts — and imperate acts of the will, and not unfrequently determinate acts — because they are more the result of deliberation, and determine and govern the action on which they fix; while those which contemplate no action as their immediate result, are called immanent acts of the will. They remain in the mind, and do not flow out into action.

6. Being within the limits of experience or knowledge.

Usage notes

• Not to be confused with imminent (“about to occur”) or immanant (“a certain type of scalar property of a matrix”).

Synonyms

• (naturally part of something): See also Thesaurus:intrinsic

Derived terms

• immanent critique

Related terms

• immanence, immanency
• immanentism
• immanently
• immanentize
• immanentization

Translations

part of something; inherent

• Bulgarian: присъщ (bg) (prisǎšt), свойствен (bg) (svojstven)
• Czech: imanentní, bytostně vlastní
• Greek: έμφυτος (el) m (émfytos)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: immanent (no)

• Polish: immanentny (pl)
• Portuguese: imanente (pt)
• Russian: прису́щий (ru) (prisúščij)
• Spanish: inmanente (es)

restricted entirely to the mind

Dutch

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

immanent (not comparable)

1. immanent

Inflection

Inflection of immanent
uninflected	immanent
inflected	immanente
comparative	—
		positive
predicative/adverbial		immanent
indefinite	m./f. sing.	immanente
	n. sing.	immanent
	plural	immanente
definite		immanente
partitive		immanents

Related terms

• immanentie

French

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ecclesiastical Latin immanēns.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /i.ma.nɑ̃/

Adjective

immanent (feminine immanente, masculine plural immanents, feminine plural immanentes)

1. (theology, philosophy) immanent

   Coordinate term: transcendant

Further reading

• “immanent”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪmaˈnɛnt/

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

immanent (strong nominative masculine singular immanenter, not comparable)

1. immanent

Declension

Positive forms of immanent (uncomparable)

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist immanent	sie ist immanent	es ist immanent	sie sind immanent
strong declension (without article)	nominative	immanenter	immanente	immanentes	immanente
	genitive	immanenten	immanenter	immanenten	immanenter
	dative	immanentem	immanenter	immanentem	immanenten
	accusative	immanenten	immanente	immanentes	immanente
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der immanente	die immanente	das immanente	die immanenten
	genitive	des immanenten	der immanenten	des immanenten	der immanenten
	dative	dem immanenten	der immanenten	dem immanenten	den immanenten
	accusative	den immanenten	die immanente	das immanente	die immanenten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein immanenter	eine immanente	ein immanentes	(keine) immanenten
	genitive	eines immanenten	einer immanenten	eines immanenten	(keiner) immanenten
	dative	einem immanenten	einer immanenten	einem immanenten	(keinen) immanenten
	accusative	einen immanenten	eine immanente	ein immanentes	(keine) immanenten

Related terms

• Immanenz

Further reading

• “immanent” in Duden online
• “immanent” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Latin

Verb

immanent

1. third-person plural present active indicative of immaneō