WORD OF THE DAY
Something extempore is spontaneous and unscripted. An extempore dance party on the city bus might be fun, while an extempore speech in front of the whole school could be terrifying.
The term exetempore comes from the Latin phrase ex tempore, "out of time," and was originally used to mean "without time to prepare." These days it usually comes up when a performer is improvising or a speaker goes off script or doesn't use a teleprompter: "The President's extempore remarks made his advisors nervous." You can also use the synonym extemporaneous.
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Vocabulary lists containing extempore
In this comedy, two Athenian couples and a troupe of actors become unwitting pawns in a squabble between a fairy king and queen.
In this collection of twelve essays, the leader of New England's transcendentalist movement shares his philosophical ideas on different aspects of mid-nineteenth-century life. Read the full text here.
King Henry IV contends with unrest on England's borders, a group of rebellious noblemen, and his unruly son.
In this 17th-century treatise, Locke argues that governments are only legitimate when leaders rule with the consent of those who are governed. Read the full text here.
