impromptu

1. not comparableImprovised; without prior preparation, planning, or rehearsal.

   an impromptu speech

   3 more examples

   The party began with an impromptu rendition of “Happy Birthday”.

   The city of Placerville, California, also known as Hangtown, is losing the noose on its logo. […] After an impromptu citizens’ jury agreed to hang a man accused of a crime, the town became known as Hangtown. It took on the name Placerville in 1854.

   2021 April 14, Rachel Trent, “City known as Hangtown votes to remove noose from its logo”, in CNN, archived from the original on 06 Dec 2022

   I can appreciate that Macca’s band plays faithful to the source material, never putting too obvious a personal spin on the music. It’s sometimes frustrating, especially when the solo part in “Get Back” is screaming for some impromptu finesse, but it’s mostly fair.

   2026 March 29, Matt Mitchell, “In LA, Paul McCartney is king”, in AV Club, archived from the original on 06 Apr 2026

   Synonyms: extemporaneous, extempore, ad lib, unplanned, ad lib, extemporal, extemporary, extemporaneous

1. not comparableExtemporaneously; without prior preparation, planning, or rehearsal.

   happened impromptu

   1 more example

   was done impromptu

   Synonyms: ex tempore, extempore, ad lib, cold

plural impromptus

1. entertainmentA short musical composition for an informal occasion often with the character of improvisation and usually to be played solo.

   The second impromptu is a dance-like Allegretto in A flat major, with a trio in D flat major employing arpeggiated textures.

   1997, Christopher H. Gibbs, The Cambridge Companion to Schubert, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 168

2. broadlyAny composition, musical or otherwise, that is created on the spot without preparation.

present singular third person impromptus · participle present impromptuing · participle past impromptued · past impromptued

1. To compose offhand.

   Synonyms: extemporize, improvise