EXTEMPORIZE

Definition

1 : to do
something extemporaneously : improvis
e; especially : to compose, perform, or
speak extemporaneously

2 : to get along in a makeshift manner

Did You Know?

Extemporize means to say or do

something on the spur of the moment, an
appropriate meaning given the word's
history. Extemporize was coined by adding
the suffix -ize to Latin ex tempore, meaning
"instantaneously" or "on the spur of the
moment." Ex tempore, in turn, was formed by
combining ex and the noun tempus,
meaning "time." Incidentally, ex
tempore was also borrowed wholesale into
English (where it means
"extemporaneously"). Other descendants of
Latin ex tempore include the now
rare extemporal and extemporary (both
synonyms of extemporaneous), and as you
have no doubt guessed by
now, extemporaneous itself.
Examples

"Donald's own trio consisted of piano,

bass and cello. Each player's part
was written, not extemporized." —
Anthony Weller, The Los Angeles
Times, 3 Feb. 2019
"The name Cher Horowitz
was extemporized by Wallace Shawn,
who plays a teacher in 'Clueless.'
Wallace Shawn is also Jewish, and
he came up with the catchy
Jewish-sounding designation for the
film's star during a scene where he
was taking attendance in the
classroom." — Tamar Skydell, The
Forward, 31 Dec. 2018