improvisation
Americannoun
-
the art or act of improvising, or of composing, uttering, executing, or arranging anything without previous preparation.
Musical improvisation involves imagination and creativity.
-
something improvised.
The actor's improvisation in Act II was both unexpected and amazing.
Other Word Forms
- improvisational adjective
Etymology
Origin of improvisation
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.
When movement finally began, it resembled not so much order as managed improvisation.
From Slate • Mar. 26, 2026
For the American firms and American consumers who bear the brunt of tariffs, the practical question is simpler: Will U.S. trade policy become stable and predictable, or will it remain an instrument of constant improvisation?
From MarketWatch • Feb. 23, 2026
Think it not strange; one perfect improvisation leads to another, jazz music is a way of life, collective improvisation is — one note calls to another, one star lights another.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026
The Grateful Dead’s commitment to loose improvisation, to stretching songs out until they became gummy and supple, helped set it apart from more traditional rock groups.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026
Like many explorers of his day, Shackleton was a great believer in improvisation: he would figure things out as the need arose.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
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.
