Autoschediastic
[aw-toh-skeh-dee-AST-ik]
Part of speech: adjective
Origin: Ancient Greek, 17th century
1.
Impromptu, improvised, ex tempore or offhand.
Examples of Autoschediastic in a sentence
"At supper, the professor offered a fascinating autoschediastic history of the fall of Rome."
"In Boston, our host offered to take us on an autoschediastic tour of Fenway Park and the surrounding neighborhood."
About Autoschediastic
“Autoschediastic” is based on the ancient Greek “αὐτοσχεδιαστικός,” meaning “extemporaneous.”
Did you Know?
While a prepared speech is how many people address a crowd, sometimes the most striking speeches are autoschediastic, or improvised. Many of history’s most famous autoschediastic speeches have been delivered by military leaders before battle — such as U.S. General George Patton’s notoriously bellicose and profane address to the Third Army ahead of the Allied invasion of France, or British Army Colonel Tim Collins’ speech to his troops before the Iraq War. Autoschediastic speeches can also occur in happier contexts, such as award shows, where off-the-cuff responses from winners (such as Jennifer Coolidge’s viral speech following her Golden Globes win for “The White Lotus”) can charm audiences far more than a speech delivered from notes.
