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Glite Dictionary
ad lib

ad lib

1 7.7
Says or does something without planning
  • idiom
  • /æd lɪb/
translation icon : improvisadamente
  • "Don't do it ad lib!" said David Ropeik, who teaches risk communication and working with the media at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Examples

  • The riders are practicing, so you just ad lib like it's the actual event.

    Parental Guidance (2012)

  • A surprised Berle replied, "Oh, we're going to ad lib?"

    Blog text (3)

  • He's speaking ad lib.

    Blog text (20)

  • The DJ is in a white dinner jacket and does a perfect Humphrey Bogart impression as he ad-libs his spiel between records.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • During the live performance, the actor had to ad lib when he forgot his lines.

  • When the interviewer asked a tough question, she decided to ad lib her answer to keep the conversation going.

  • The comedian often ad libs during his shows, making each performance unique and entertaining.

Synonyms

spontaneously
vsad lib
48 4.4

To act naturally without planning or being forced

is more about quick improvisation than mere natural occurrence
impromptu
vsad lib
37 6.3

Done or said without preparation

implies active improvisation rather than a simple single unplanned act
offhand
vsad lib
7 6.3

Said or done immediately without careful thought

is more about deliberate improvisation than casual or careless reaction
extemporaneously
vsad lib
2 9.9

Said or done without planning beforehand

focuses more on active improvisation during performance
extempore
vsad lib
9.3

In a way that is said or done without preparation

leans more toward intentional improvisation rather than just unplanned speech
extemporarily
vsad lib
9.9

In a way that is not planned beforehand

stresses inventive performance rather than only lack of planning
unpremeditatedly
vsad lib
9.5

Without planning or thinking about it first

adds the idea of creative or performative improvisation to that lack of planning
ad libitum
vsad lib
  • Specialized
9.9

To perform freely without preparation in speech or music

is more narrowly about spontaneous performance or improvisation

Antonyms

prepared
103 1.3

Ready to use or do something when needed

How Spontaneous

spontaneously
48 4.4
improvised
1 4.6
ad lib
1 7.7
offhand
7 6.3

Surface Forms

ad lib positive

Morphology

ad + lib

The element 'lib' conveys improvisation, so a learner who knows that verb may infer the MWE relates to improvising; however 'ad' is not a transparent independent English word here (commonly parsed as 'advertisement' or as a Latin prefix), and the phrase is a borrowing from Latin ('ad libitum'), making the composition partially but not fully predictable. Because one constituent gives a useful clue but the overall form and function are idiomatic/borrowed, it is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

The adverb ad lib comes from the Latin phrase ad libitum, which literally means 'as you please' or 'at will'. Imagine a performer who speaks whatever they want on stage—doing things 'on the spot'—so ad lib now means to speak or act 'without preparation'.