Word of the Day

: February 19, 2012

extemporaneous

adjective ek-stem-puh-RAY-nee-us

What It Means

1 : composed, performed, or uttered on the spur of the moment : impromptu

2 : provided, made, or put to use as an expedient : makeshift

extemporaneous in Context

A group of revelers at the pub launched into an extemporaneous rendition of "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling."

"Members give prepared speeches at their own pace and receive constructive, supportive feedback from assigned evaluators. There also is an extemporaneous speaking session at each meeting to give members an opportunity to practice speaking without preparation." -- From the Club News feature in Times-Picayune (New Orleans), January 19, 2012

Did You Know?

"Extemporaneous," which comes from Latin "ex tempore" ("out of the time"), joined the English language sometime in the mid-17th century. The word "impromptu" was improvised soon after that. In general usage, "extemporaneous" and "impromptu" are used interchangeably to describe off-the-cuff remarks or speeches, but this is not the case when they are used in reference to the learned art of public speaking. Teachers of speech will tell you that an extemporaneous speech is one that has been thoroughly prepared and planned but not memorized, whereas an impromptu speech is one for which absolutely no preparations have been made.