extempore
Americanadverb
-
on the spur of the moment; without premeditation or preparation; offhand.
Questions were asked extempore from the floor.
-
without notes.
to speak extempore.
-
(of musical performance) by improvisation.
adjective
adverb
Related Words
See extemporaneous.
Other Word Forms
- nonextempore adverb
Etymology
Origin of extempore
First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin: literally, “out of the time, at the moment,” equivalent to ex “out of” ( see ex- 1) + tempore “the time” (ablative singular of tempus )
Explanation
Something extempore is spontaneous and unscripted. An extempore dance party on the city bus might be fun, while an extempore speech in front of the whole school could be terrifying. The term exetempore comes from the Latin phrase ex tempore, "out of time," and was originally used to mean "without time to prepare." These days it usually comes up when a performer is improvising or a speaker goes off script or doesn't use a teleprompter: "The President's extempore remarks made his advisors nervous." You can also use the synonym extemporaneous.
Vocabulary lists containing extempore
A Midsummer Night's Dream
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Society and Solitude
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Novel Study: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
By then, Nehru had gained a reputation as a formidable orator, delivering extempore speeches that ranged effortlessly across politics, science, art, and ethics.
From BBC • Nov. 5, 2025
And whenever he performed during the show - including an extempore rap performance while inhaling helium from a balloon - fans would celebrate on social media for days.
From BBC • Feb. 16, 2023
It was his ability to speak extempore with an eloquence and inventiveness unrivaled in 17th-century Paris.
From New York Times • Jan. 8, 2020
On stage, James could stretch I’d Rather Go Blind out to 10 minutes of extempore soul-bearing, but the simple, concise studio original is pretty much perfect.
From The Guardian • Mar. 14, 2019
On ordinary occasions he intrusted the whole or a considerable portion of each scene to their extempore ability, only indicating the movement of the plot in a scenario.
From The Memoirs of Count Carlo Gozzi; Volume the First by Gozzi, Carlo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
