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Spontaneous vs. Extemporaneous — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Spontaneous and Extemporaneous

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Definitions

Spontaneous

Happening or arising without apparent external cause; self-generated
A microorganism capable of spontaneous movement.

Extemporaneous

Carried out or performed with little or no preparation; impromptu
An extemporaneous piano recital.

Spontaneous

Arising from a natural inclination or impulse and not from forethought or prompting
Spontaneous laughter.
A spontaneous protest.

Extemporaneous

Prepared in advance but delivered without notes or text
An extemporaneous speech.

Spontaneous

Unconstrained and unstudied in manner or behavior
A spontaneous personality.

Extemporaneous

Skilled at or given to unrehearsed speech or performance
An accomplished extemporaneous speaker.
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Spontaneous

Growing without cultivation or human labor
Spontaneous vegetation.

Extemporaneous

Provided, made, or adapted as an expedient; makeshift
An extemporaneous policy decision.

Spontaneous

Self-generated; happening without any apparent external cause.
He made a spontaneous offer of help.
A make spontaneous decision

Extemporaneous

With inadequate preparation or without advance thought; offhand.

Spontaneous

Done by one's own free choice, or without planning.

Extemporaneous

Composed, performed, or uttered on the spur of the moment, or without previous study; unpremeditated; off-hand; ad-lib; extempore; extemporary; as, an extemporaneous address or production.
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Spontaneous

Proceeding from natural feeling or native tendency without external or conscious constraint.

Extemporaneous

With little or no preparation or forethought;
His ad-lib comments showed poor judgment
An extemporaneous piano recital
An extemporary lecture
An extempore skit
An impromptu speech
Offhand excuses
Trying to sound offhanded and reassuring
An off-the-cuff toast
A few unrehearsed comments

Spontaneous

Arising from a momentary impulse.

Spontaneous

Controlled and directed internally; self-active; spontaneous movement characteristic of living things.

Spontaneous

Produced without being planted or without human cultivation or labor.

Spontaneous

Sudden, without warning.

Spontaneous

Proceeding from natural feeling, temperament, or disposition, or from a native internal proneness, readiness, or tendency, without constraint; as, a spontaneous gift or proposition.

Spontaneous

Proceeding from, or acting by, internal impulse, energy, or natural law, without external force; as, spontaneous motion; spontaneous growth.

Spontaneous

Produced without being planted, or without human labor; as, a spontaneous growth of wood.
Spontaneous joys, where nature has its play,The soul adopts, and owns their firstborn away.

Spontaneous

Happening or arising without apparent external cause;
Spontaneous laughter
Spontaneous combustion
A spontaneous abortion

Spontaneous

Said or done without having been planned or written in advance;
He made a few ad-lib remarks

Spontaneous

Produced without being planted or without human labor;
Wild strawberries

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