spontaneity

noun spon·ta·ne·i·ty \ ˌspän-tə-ˈnē-ə-tē , -ˈnā- \

Definition of spontaneity

1 :the quality or state of being spontaneous

2 :voluntary or undetermined action or movement; also :its source

See spontaneity defined for English-language learners

See spontaneity defined for kids

Examples of spontaneity in a Sentence

the spontaneity of their behavior
the couple sacrificed some of the spontaneity in their lives when they had a baby

Recent Examples of spontaneity from the Web

After a solemn waiting of about two minutes, transports of joy, frantic applause, saluted with the same accord, the same spontaneity, the reappearance of the first solar rays.

— jason samenow, Washington Post, "These powerful, moving solar eclipse reflections will compel you to watch on Aug. 21," 11 Aug. 2017
Q: Is that a way to preserve some spontaneity as your shows get bigger?

— los angeles times, OregonLive.com, "Chris Stapleton puts the 'country' back into Country Crossings fest," 21 July 2017
I’ve missed more of the spontaneity and the openness.

— robin pogrebin, New York Times, "Art Gallery Closures Grow for Small and Midsize Dealers," 25 June 2017
Together with co-director and editor Steen Johannessen, Fayyad brings a rigorous sense of craft and shock-and-awe scale to the film's impressions of destruction, without impeding its anxious, on-the-hoof spontaneity.

— guy lodge, chicagotribune.com, "'Last Men in Aleppo' review: 'Last Men in Aleppo' review: Messy, harrowing account of living through war," 22 June 2017
The famous call was classic Henderson, a by-product of diligent preparation and emotional spontaneity.

— jeff duncan, NOLA.com, "Pigs have flown: Jim Henderson, voice of the Saints, earns Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame induction," 21 June 2017
A weekend road trip is the perfect adventure, combining low commitment with spontaneity.

— hans aschim, Esquire, "Taking a Vacation Doesn't Mean Taking a Vacation from Style," 16 June 2017
Original Practice Shakespeare aims to capture the spontaneity that comes from actors not really knowing what's going to happen next, and achieves it by the performers' not playing the same parts more than two or three times in a season.

— special to the oregonian, OregonLive.com, "To rehearse or not to rehearse? Original Practice Shakespeare chooses spontaneity," 11 June 2017
The work of Kathy Liao, who has taught at Seattle’s Gage Academy, has quick-sketch spontaneity and wild color play.

— michael upchurch, The Seattle Times, "Black history, humming heads and more: June in Seattle galleries," 6 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'spontaneity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of spontaneity

1651

spontaneity Synonyms

Synonyms

abandonment, ease, lightheartedness, naturalness, abandon, spontaneousness, unconstraint, uninhibitedness, unrestraint

Antonyms

constraint, restraint

Near Antonyms

embarrassment, reserve, reticence, self-consciousness, uneasiness; inhibition, repression, self-restraint, suppression; carefulness, discreetness, discretion, heedfulness; discipline, self-command, self-control, self-denial, self-discipline, self-mastery, willpower

SPONTANEITY Defined for English Language Learners

spontaneity

noun

Definition of spontaneity for English Language Learners

: the quality or state of being spontaneous

Learn More about spontaneity

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for spontaneity Spanish Central: Translation of spontaneity Nglish: Translation of spontaneity for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of spontaneity for Arabic speakers

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spontaneity

Definition of spontaneity

Examples of spontaneity in a Sentence

Recent Examples of spontaneity from the Web

First Known Use of spontaneity

spontaneity Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

SPONTANEITY Defined for English Language Learners

spontaneity

Definition of spontaneity for English Language Learners

Learn More about spontaneity

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Examples of spontaneity in a Sentence

Recent Examples of spontaneity from the Web

First Known Use of spontaneity

spontaneity Synonyms

Synonyms

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SPONTANEITY Defined for English Language Learners

spontaneity

Definition of spontaneity for English Language Learners

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