spon·ta·ne·ous

[spon-tey-nee-uhs]
adjective
1.
coming or resulting from a natural impulse or tendency; without effort or premeditation; natural and unconstrained; unplanned: a spontaneous burst of applause.
2.
(of a person) given to acting upon sudden impulses.
3.
(of natural phenomena) arising from internal forces or causes; independent of external agencies; self-acting.
4.
growing naturally or without cultivation, as plants and fruits; indigenous.
5.
produced by natural process.

Origin:
1650–60; < Late Latin spontāneus, equivalent to Latin spont(e) willingly + -āneus (-ān(us) -an + -eus -eous)

spon·ta·ne·ous·ly, adverb
spon·ta·ne·ous·ness, noun
non·spon·ta·ne·ous, adjective
non·spon·ta·ne·ous·ly, adverb
non·spon·ta·ne·ous·ness, noun
sem·i·spon·ta·ne·ous, adjective
sem·i·spon·ta·ne·ous·ly, adverb
sem·i·spon·ta·ne·ous·ness, noun
sub·spon·ta·ne·ous, adjective
sub·spon·ta·ne·ous·ly, adverb
sub·spon·ta·ne·ous·ness, noun
un·spon·ta·ne·ous, adjective
un·spon·ta·ne·ous·ly, adverb
un·spon·ta·ne·ous·ness, noun


1. unpremeditated, free. See automatic, voluntary.


1. premeditated.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To spontaneous
00:10
Spontaneous is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
Collins
World English Dictionary
spontaneous (spɒnˈteɪnɪəs) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
adj
1.  occurring, produced, or performed through natural processes without external influence: spontaneous movement
2.  arising from an unforced personal impulse; voluntary; unpremeditated: a spontaneous comment
3.  (of plants) growing naturally; indigenous
 
[C17: from Late Latin spontāneus, from Latin sponte voluntarily]
 
spon'taneously
 
adv
 
spon'taneousness
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

spontaneous
1650s, from L.L. spontaneus "willing, of one's free will," from L. (sua) sponte "of one's own accord, willingly;" of unknown origin. Related: Spontaneously.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Example sentences
But mostly my choices were spontaneous and impulsive.
The city lacks any focal point of the sort that might catalyze a spontaneous
  public gathering.
It has a plenty of natural light and places for spontaneous discussion.
His notes are neither languid nor forced, but remarkably varied and spontaneous.
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