Ad-Lib
/ˌædˈlɪb/noun
To improvise or speak without preparation.
Did you know?The phrase comes from Latin ad libitum, used in music and performance to mean “at pleasure” or “as you wish,” which is why improvisation still carries a sense of controlled freedom.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
ad libitum
“at pleasure; as one wishes”
Early Modern English
English
ad lib
“a performer’s improvisation or something done without preparation”
19th Century
English
ad-lib
“to improvise words or actions in performance”
Modern English
English
ad-lib
“to speak or perform spontaneously without a script”