SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
spontaneous
adjective
Arising naturally or suddenly without advance planning or outside prompting.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Unplanned or unprompted
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topSpontaneous can arise without planning or outside prompting. Impulsive can imply inadequate consideration; extemporaneous often concerns speech.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See spontaneous in use
A spontaneous discussion began when someone noticed the unusual illustration.
When a guest missed the beginning of the college radio workshop, Tessa gave an impromptu introduction with only a moment to gather her thoughts. A spontaneous laugh followed when she noticed that both speakers had brought the same unusual notebook.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
- SPONTANEOUS Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
- Princeton WordNet 3.0: wn30-a-02213557, wn30-a-02282376
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license