impromptu
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Etymology
Pronunciation
Adjective
impromptu (not comparable)
- Improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal.
- Synonyms: extemporaneous, unplanned; see also Thesaurus:impromptu
- The party began with an impromptu rendition of 'Happy Birthday'.
- an impromptu speech
Translations
improvised
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Noun
impromptu (plural impromptus)
- (music) A short musical composition for an informal occasion often with the character of improvisation and usually to be played solo.
- 1997, Christopher H. Gibbs, The Cambridge Companion to Schubert, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 168:
- The second impromptu is a dance-like Allegretto in A flat major, with a trio in D flat major employing arpeggiated textures.
- (by extension) Any composition, musical or otherwise, that is created on the spot without preparation.
Translations
short composition
any composition, musical or otherwise, that is created on the spot without preparation
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Etymology
Univerbation of the Latin adverbial locution in prōmptū (“ready, at hand”).
Pronunciation
Adjective
impromptu (feminine impromptue, masculine plural impromptus, feminine plural impromptues)
- improvised, not planned
- une visite impromptue. ― an unplanned visit
Noun
impromptu m (plural impromptus)
- improvised action
- Synonym: improviste
- à l’impromptu ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)
- 1868, Sainte-Beuve, Pensées:
- Talleyrand prévoyait à l’avance ses bons mots, que la circonstance lui tirait ensuite à l’impromptu.
- Talleyrand prepared his witticisms in advance, then deployed them spontaneously as the circumstances required.
- (music) impromptu
- Synonyms: improvisation, impro
- 1928, Du Bos, Journal:
- Quand je faisais mentalement des réserves sur Fauré, celles-ci portaient sur les Barcarolles, les Nocturnes et les Impromptus.
- When I had reservations in my mind about Fauré, they concerned his barcarolles, his nocturnes and his impromptus.
Further reading
- “impromptu”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from French impromptu (“improvised, not planned; improvised action”).
Adjective
impromptu
- improvised, extemporaneous, unplanned: without prior preparation, planning, or rehearsal.
Further reading
- “impromptu” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.
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