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.
noun
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the act or an instance of improvising
-
a product of improvising; something improvised
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of improvisation
Explanation
Improvisation is making it up as you go along, like taking a long stroll with no destination in mind and walking down random streets for the fun of it. Making choices that aren’t planned ahead of time, that’s improvisation. Jazz musicians are masters of improvisation, creating saxophone solos off the top of their heads based on what they feel in the moment. The Latin word improvisus means “unforeseen,” and improvisation happens when you can’t see the end goal but you keep moving ahead, dealing with obstacles in a creative way.
Vocabulary lists containing improvisation
Starting Your New Life: Inspiring Words from Commencement Speeches
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Dwight D. Eisenhower, "The Military-Industrial Complex" (1961)
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Theater - Introductory
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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.
See Examples For:
Messi's genius has always been rooted in improvisation.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
And, on any given night, he didn’t hesitate to expand an improvisation to startling lengths, finding new ideas well beyond the imaginative limits of most jazz players.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026
Saturday is more of a project — windows open, music on, a little more improvisation.
From Salon ● Apr. 26, 2026
Then things happen and it feels like there is a lot of improvisation and performance.
From Barron's ● Apr. 12, 2026
Musical activities such as singing, singing/vocalization, instrument play, movement/dance, musical improvisation, songwriting/composition, and listening to music, are types of musical therapy interventions to assess and help individuals practice identified skills.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Listen closely through the web of startling improvisations on Mr. Sorey’s version of “Effi,” and you can hear Mr. Allen playing traces of Merritt’s alluring bass grooves from the original.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
His contrapuntal beats lend context to tenor saxophonist Billy Pierce’s abstract improvisations; his laid-back rim shots ground pianist Johnny O’Neal’s lyrical lines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 15, 2025
Slattery was known and loved for his quick-witted improvisations on the popular Channel 4 show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, from 1988 onwards.
From BBC ● Jan. 14, 2025
Perttu Kesäniemi and Mikko Ojanen recorded the artists' vocal and instrumental improvisations at the University of Helsinki Music Research Laboratory, and digitally added the acoustics of selected sites to them.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 25, 2024
For even more possibilities, try a web search for "exotic scales"; or try inventing your own scales and using them in compositions and improvisations.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
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.
