Definition

Done or said without planning or preparation, often in a spontaneous manner.

Example

The speaker gave an extemporaneous talk that impressed everyone in the audience.

Conversation

Did you see her give that extemporaneous speech at the event last night?

Yeah, it was impressive how she managed to speak so well without notes!

I know, right? It takes a lot of skill to be that extemporaneous in front of a crowd.

Definitely! I wish I could speak like that on the spot.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Extemporaneous → It is formed from "ex-" (meaning out of) and "temporaneus" (from Latin "tempus", meaning time). The word describes something that is done out of the moment or without preparation, relating to time.

Memory Tip

Think of doing something 'out of' ('ex-') the moment, without prior planning — that's what extemporaneous means.

Visually Confused Words