Improvising

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Making or performing something on the spot without prior planning or preparation
2. Engaging in spontaneous creation or performance without having arranged it beforehand
3. Acting or producing something immediately and without advance preparation

Etymology: "Improvising" is the present participle of "improvise," and the verb itself is a borrowing from French "improviser." The French verb rests on Latin "improvisus," meaning "unforeseen" or "unexpected," built from the negative prefix "in-" and "provisus," the past participle of "providere," "to foresee." The original sense was therefore about being caught off guard rather than about performing with skill. The Latin root is the same one behind "provide" and "provision," which makes the connection to "improvise" a little surprising: the word is built on the idea of foresight, and its opposite is a lack of it. The word "improvise" is not related to "improve," despite the similar spelling, since "improve" comes from a different source. Once you see the structure, the meaning of the verb follows naturally: to do something that nobody had foreseen or prepared.

Synonyms: ad-libbing, extemporizing, inventing, contriving, creating

Antonyms: planning, preparing, scripted, rehearsed, organized