To improvise means to create or perform something without planning it in advance, making it up as you go along. When a musician improvises a solo, they're not reading from sheet music or following a memorized pattern: they're inventing new melodies in the moment, responding to what they hear and feel. Jazz musicians are famous for this kind of spontaneous creativity.

The word also means to solve a problem using whatever you have on hand. If you forget your lunch box but need to carry your sandwich, you might improvise by wrapping it in notebook paper. When a bike chain breaks miles from home, a resourceful rider might improvise a temporary repair using a bent paper clip or some wire. This kind of improvisation requires quick thinking and creativity.

Actors who practice improv (short for improvisation) create entire scenes without scripts, building stories together based on audience suggestions. Good improvisers stay flexible and alert, ready to adapt when things don't go as expected.

The ability to improvise serves you well throughout life. Whether you're giving a presentation and the projector stops working, playing a game when someone loses the rule book, or cooking dinner when you're missing an ingredient, improvising means staying calm and creative when circumstances force you off your original plan.