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im·promp·tu

(ĭm-prŏmpt, -ty)

adj.

1. Prompted by the occasion rather than being planned in advance: an impromptu party.

2. Spoken, performed, done, or composed with little or no preparation; extemporaneous: a few impromptu remarks.

adv.

With little or no preparation; extemporaneously.

1. Something, such as a speech, that is made or done extemporaneously.

2. Music A short composition, especially for the piano, performed in an offhand or extemporized style.

[French, from Latin in prōmptū, at hand : in, in; see IN-² + prōmptū, ablative of prōmptus, readiness, from past participle of prōmere, to bring forth; see PROMPT.]

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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