extemporaneous

adjective

(ˌ)ek-ˌstem-pə-ˈrā-nē-əs How to pronounce extemporaneous (audio)
Definition of extemporaneousnext
as in impromptu
made or done without previous thought or preparation caught by surprise, I had to make an extemporaneous speech at the awards banquet

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of extemporaneous The extemporaneous talk included Biblical references and warm shoutouts to locals in the audience. — CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026 After his turn, English let out a sigh, exhausted by all the extemporaneous scribing. — Dan Greene, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026 Where the ponderous fire-roads invited a slow, deliberate pace to space our kidneys, the combination of hilly terrain and a slick surface demanded a more extemporaneous approach to conserving momentum. — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 22 Jan. 2026 In 1962, Tillie Olsen gave a largely extemporaneous talk at Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute. — Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for extemporaneous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extemporaneous
  1. impromptu
  2. improvisational
  3. improvised
Adjective
  • Yet her inclusion feels totally impromptu, like she and Bryan just got called up for their turn at karaoke and didn’t have a chance to work out the harmonies.
    — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Moroney, Bryan and 19-year-old singer-songwriter Ty Myers were teased as being part of the lineup in an impromptu drone show over Tower Bridge Wednesday night.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of impromptu
Adjective
  • These findings suggest that the audience for conversations about the soul is not shrinking, but shifting away from organized religion and toward more personal, improvisational forms of seeking.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Last month, at the Earl Scruggs Music Festival in Western North Carolina, MGU rolled through an hour-long set of new material from Appalachian Smoke and intricate improvisational jams.
    — Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of improvisational
Adjective
  • Stiff was a record company that was founded on about 1,000 pounds and everything was done in an improvised fashion, including what order the songs came out from different artists.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The piece contends that the threat warrants advance legal planning rather than reliance on improvised responses after a disruption occurs.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of improvised

Browse Nearby Words

extant
extemporaneous
extemporary
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Cite this Entry

“Extemporaneous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extemporaneous. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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