extemporaneous

American  

[ik-stem-puh-rey-nee-uhs] / ɪkˌstɛm pəˈreɪ ni əs /

adjective

1. done, spoken, performed, etc., without special advance preparation; impromptu.

   an extemporaneous speech.

2. previously planned but delivered with the help of few or no notes.

   extemporaneous lectures.

3. speaking or performing with little or no advance preparation.

   extemporaneous actors.

4. made for the occasion, as a shelter.

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extemporaneous British  

/ ɪkˌstɛmpəˈreɪnɪəs, ɪkˈstɛmpərərɪ, -prərɪ /

adjective

1. spoken, performed, etc, without planning or preparation; impromptu; extempore

2. done in a temporary manner; improvised

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Related Words

Extemporaneous, extempore, impromptu, improvised are used of expression given without preparation or only partial preparation. Extemporaneous and impromptu may both refer to speeches given without any preparation: an extemporaneous (impromptu) speech. Extemporaneous may also refer to a speech given from notes or an outline: extemporaneous lectures. Although extempore is an adjective with the very same meaning as extemporaneous, this word is most often used in its adverbial senses: She spoke extempore, and had the audience's rapt attention. Impromptu also refers to poems, songs, etc., delivered without preparation and at a moment's notice. Improvised is applied to something composed (recited, sung, acted), at least in part, as one goes along: an improvised piano accompaniment.

Other Word Forms

• extemporaneity
  noun
• extemporaneously
  adverb
• extemporaneousness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of extemporaneous

First recorded in 1650–60, from Late Latin extemporāneus “on the spur of the moment”; see extempore, -an, -eous

Explanation

Extemporaneous means spoken without preparation. The orator's performance was impressive, but we did not realize the depth of his talent until we learned that his speech was extemporaneous. Some politicians are so skilled that even their prepared remarks have an extemporaneous quality. As opposed to policy debates where teams know the resolution in advance, extemporaneous debates are judged on style and nimble argumentation, as the participants receive the resolution minutes before debating begins. Extemporaneous comes from the Latin phrase ex tempore, literally meaning "out of time." The words in this family (extemporary, extemporaneously, extemporize, etc.) almost always refer to speaking or composing something on the spot — without time or enough preparation.

Example Sentences

Extemporaneous spokesmen were prone to end elliptical sentences with hopeful gestures of the hand and those who had prepared their talks showed a marked propensity for digression.

From Time Magazine Archive

Extemporaneous speeches were made on street corners and from atop coffee tables.

From Time Magazine Archive

Oratory—Sacred and Secular; or, the Extemporaneous Speaker, including a Chairman's Guide for conducting Public Meetings according to the best Parliamentary forms, by Wm.

From How To Behave: A Pocket Manual Of Republican Etiquette, And Guide To Correct Personal Habits Embracing An Exposition Of The Principles Of Good Manners; Useful Hints On The Care Of The Person, Eating, Drinking, Exercise, Habits, Dress, Self-Culture, And Behavior At Home; The Etiquette Of Salutations, Introductions, Receptions, Visits, Dinners, Evening Parties, Conversation, Letters, Presents, Weddings, Funerals, The Street, The Church, Places Of Amusement, Traveling, Etc., With Illustrative Anecdotes, a Chapter on Love and Courtship, and Rules of Order for Debating Societies by Wells, Samuel R. (Samuel Roberts)

Extemporaneous prayer follows; then another hymn; then, unless the Church service has been previously used, the reading of portions of the Scriptures; then an extemporaneous sermon, and the worship is concluded with singing and prayer. 

From The Religious Life of London by Ritchie, J. Ewing (James Ewing)

Extemporaneous speaking is putting spontaneously into words what has previously been well thought out and well arranged.

From Public Speaking by Winter, Irvah Lester