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ex·tem·po·ra·ne·ous

(ĭk-stĕm′pə-rānē-əs)

adj.

1. Carried out or performed with little or no preparation; impromptu: an extemporaneous piano recital.

2. Prepared in advance but delivered without notes or text: an extemporaneous speech.

3. Skilled at or given to unrehearsed speech or performance: an accomplished extemporaneous speaker.

4. Provided, made, or adapted as an expedient; makeshift: an extemporaneous policy decision.

[From Late Latin extemporāneus, from Latin ex tempore; see EXTEMPORE.]

ex·tem′po·ra·nei·ty (-pər-ə-nēĭ-tē) n.

ex·tem′po·rane·ous·ly adv.

ex·tem′po·rane·ous·ness n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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