improv

adjective

im·​prov ˈim-ˌpräv How to pronounce improv (audio)
Synonyms of improvnext
: of, relating to, or being improvisation and especially an improvised comedy routine
improv noun

Examples of improv in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The writers room is stacked with people who, like Plaza and Wengert, hail from the Upright Citizens Brigade improv world. Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026 Miranda and Ambudkar met in the mid-2000s while working together in the NYC hip-hop improv group Freestyle Love Supreme. Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026 Through orchestra, chamber music, and even haphazard improv with friends, music has acted as a bridge to understanding others and continuing to explore and learn with them. Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026 But few have been as dear to the Indiana improv-rock group’s heart as those of Phil Lesh, the Grateful Dead co-founder who, early on, took the band under his wing. Bill Forman, AJC.com, 15 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for improv

Word History

Etymology

short for improvisation

First Known Use

1978, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of improv was in 1978

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Cite this Entry

“Improv.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/improv. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.

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