improvisation
noun
im·pro·vi·sa·tion
(ˌ)im-ˌprä-və-ˈzā-shən 
ˌim-prə-və-
also ˌim-prə-(ˌ)vī-
1
: the act or art of improvising
2
: something (such as a musical or dramatic composition) improvised
improvisationally
adverb
Examples of improvisation in a Sentence
that comedy skit was a totally unrehearsed improvisation
Recent Examples on the Web
Snipped bits of studio improvisations and artifacts of chance collisions with other artists who happened to be in the room—a baritone guitar loop from the band, a trap 808 from a producer just passing through—form the shifting foundation for Vernon’s unmistakable voice.
—
Mitch Therieau, Pitchfork, 8 Apr. 2026
Thanks to both Gosling’s tongue-in-cheek charisma — as well as the curious and utterly sincere personality that Ortiz imbues into Rocky through his voice performance and intuitive puppeteering (with plenty of improvisation) — the movie becomes a disarming interstellar, interspecies bromance.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Baumeister is also creating a piece in the Murphy throughout the residency, with open rehearsals on May 6 and 8, a four-hour solo improvisation on May 7, and a performance with collaborator Jenna Weatherbie on May 9.
—Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
Iran is exposing the limits of a presidency built on bluff, improvisation and submission rituals.
—Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for improvisation
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Mitch Therieau, Pitchfork, 8 Apr. 2026
Thanks to both Gosling’s tongue-in-cheek charisma — as well as the curious and utterly sincere personality that Ortiz imbues into Rocky through his voice performance and intuitive puppeteering (with plenty of improvisation) — the movie becomes a disarming interstellar, interspecies bromance.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Baumeister is also creating a piece in the Murphy throughout the residency, with open rehearsals on May 6 and 8, a four-hour solo improvisation on May 7, and a performance with collaborator Jenna Weatherbie on May 9.
—Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
Iran is exposing the limits of a presidency built on bluff, improvisation and submission rituals.
—Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for improvisation
Cite this Entry
“Improvisation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/improvisation. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
improvisation
noun
im·pro·vi·sa·tion
(ˌ)im-ˌpräv-ə-ˈzā-shən
ˌim-prə-və-
1
: the act or art of improvising
2
: something that is improvised
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