spontaneous

C1 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /spɑnˈteɪ.ni.əs/ UK /spɒnˈteɪ.ni.əs/ See IPA manual

adj Freq #9708

Meanings

1

adj
Done suddenly, without planning, because you suddenly want to.

We made a spontaneous decision to drive to the coast.
2

adj
Happening naturally, without an obvious outside cause.

The joke caused a burst of spontaneous laughter.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · done suddenly, without... impulsive

2 adj · happening naturally,... self-generated

Word family

Derived forms nonspontaneoussemispontaneousspontaneity spontaneously spontaneousnesssubspontaneousunspontaneous

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Late Latin spontāneus.

spontāneus la-lat

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Space, Position & Direction Word Formation & Derivatives

# spontaneous

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** spɑnˈteɪ.ni.əs
**IPA (UK):** spɒnˈteɪ.ni.əs
**Frequency rank:** 9708

## Meanings
1. Done suddenly, without planning, because you suddenly want to.
2. Happening naturally, without an obvious outside cause.

## Examples
- We made a spontaneous decision to drive to the coast.
- The joke caused a burst of spontaneous laughter.

## Derived Forms
- nonspontaneous
- semispontaneous
- spontaneity
- spontaneously
- spontaneousness
- subspontaneous
- unspontaneous

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: spontāneus

## Etymology
Learned borrowing from Late Latin spontāneus.

## AI Etymology
Spontaneous is a learned borrowing from Late Latin spontāneus. In present-day use, it can mean done suddenly, without planning, because you suddenly want to, or happening naturally, without an obvious outside cause. Derived formations include nonspontaneous, semispontaneous, spontaneity, spontaneously, spontaneousness.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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