extempore
Americanadverb
-
on the spur of the moment; without premeditation or preparation; offhand.
Questions were asked extempore from the floor.
-
without notes.
to speak extempore.
-
(of musical performance) by improvisation.
adjective
adverb
Related Words
See extemporaneous.
Other Word Forms
- nonextempore adverb
Etymology
Origin of extempore
First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin: literally, “out of the time, at the moment,” equivalent to ex “out of” ( ex- 1 ) + tempore “the time” (ablative singular of tempus )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And whenever he performed during the show - including an extempore rap performance while inhaling helium from a balloon - fans would celebrate on social media for days.
From BBC • Feb. 16, 2023
It was his ability to speak extempore with an eloquence and inventiveness unrivaled in 17th-century Paris.
From New York Times • Jan. 8, 2020
On stage, James could stretch I’d Rather Go Blind out to 10 minutes of extempore soul-bearing, but the simple, concise studio original is pretty much perfect.
From The Guardian • Mar. 14, 2019
But Mr Modi used it to speak about the issues bothering Indians every day and in a break from tradition, he spoke extempore, without consulting any notes.
From BBC • Aug. 15, 2014
Got a good lead of thought and felt that I could supply extempore what I had not time to write.
From Julia Ward Howe 1819-1910 by Elliott, Maud Howe
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
