improvisation — English Dictionary

Noun

1. The act or art of composing and making music, poetry, and the like, extemporaneously

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   He played a quick improvisation on the keyboard.

2. That which is improvised; an impromptu.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

3. Musical technique, characteristic of blues music.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

4. The act of improvising, acting or going about something without planning ahead

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   The Ivorian is a player with such a liking for improvisation it does not usually look like he has any more idea than anyone else what he is going to do next, so it was an interesting choice.

Noun

1. a creation spoken or written or composed extemporaneously (without prior preparation)

   Broader terms

   creation

2. an unplanned expedient

   Synonyms

   temporary expedient

   Broader terms

   expedient

3. a performance given extempore without planning or preparation

   Synonyms

   extemporizationextemporisation

   Broader terms

   performance