Word of the Day : November 23, 2018

impromptu \im-PROMP-too\ adjective

Definition

1 : made, done, or formed on or as if on the spur of the moment : improvised

2 : composed or uttered without previous preparation : extemporaneous

Did You Know?

If you think that impromptu looks like a relative of the adjective prompt, you're right; both are ultimately derived from the Latin promere, meaning "to bring forth, take out." Impromptu was borrowed from French, where it meant "extemporaneously," but French speakers picked it up from the Latin phrase in promptu, a promere descendant meaning "in readiness" or "at hand." Something that is impromptu is generally "prompted" (that English verb is from Latin promptus, of the same meaning) by an occasion that generates a response in the form of, for example, a party or a speech that has not been planned. There is also another, much rarer descendant of promere in English: the noun promptuary, meaning "a book of ready reference."

Aired November 23, 2018

All Merriam-Webster content is available at www.merriam-webster.com