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improvisational

UK/ɪmpɹəvaɪˈzeɪʃənəl/US/ɪmˌpɹɑvəˈzeɪʃənəl/
adjectiveC2Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #14,446 of 15,258mostly written

Improvisational means belonging to a style where the players invent as they go. An improvisational style, improvisational theatre, improvisational jazz.

The rule in improvised theatre is to accept whatever another player offers and add to it, which is what stops a scene collapsing. It looks like the absence of preparation and is in fact a trained discipline.

Definitions of improvisational

  1. 1adjectiveimprovisationalBelonging to a style of performing in which the players invent the material as they go.C2

    “The band's improvisational style means that no two concerts are ever the same.”

improvisational is a quality.

Where it comes from

From improvisation, from Italian improvvisare, from Latin improvisus, unforeseen.

  1. French

    improvisation

  2. English

    improvisation

  3. English, today

    improvisational

by surface analysis, improvisation + -al, or, by surface analysis, improvise + -ation + -al. improvisation comes from French improvisation. Morphologically improvise + ation.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

improvisational in the wild

  • The Compass Players (or Compass Theater) was an improvisational cabaret revue active from 1955 to 1958 in Chicago and St.

    Compass Players

  • The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise.

    The Second City

  • Spolin influenced the first generation of improvisational actors at the Second City in Chicago in the mid- to late 1950s, through her son, Paul Sills.

    Viola Spolin

  • Unexpected Productions (UP) is an improvisational comedy company in Seattle, Washington, USA.

    Unexpected Productions

  • Improvisational theatre companies, also known as improv troupes or improv groups, are the primary practitioners of improvisational theater.

    List of improvisational theatre companies

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

the improvisation family

improvisationimprovisational

improvisational — used about once every 54,060 pages · #14,446 · point at the bar for the others

  • improvise