1
: the quality or state of being spontaneous
2
: voluntary or undetermined action or movement
also : its source

Examples of spontaneity in a Sentence

the spontaneity of their behavior the couple sacrificed some of the spontaneity in their lives when they both got nine-to-five jobs
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Not only is the choice of songs different one night to the next, there are moments of spontaneity and humanity that give each performance a different character. Glenn Peoples, Billboard, 18 Mar. 2025 What separates vigilantism from self-defense is the spontaneity of the latter and the premeditation of the former. Kent Russell, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025 Potentially newsworthy footage that Johnson shot with the documentarian Laura Poitras in Yemen shares time with the simple spontaneity of a lightning strike caught on camera in Nodaway County, Mo. Ben Kenigsberg, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025 Some may prefer the spontaneity of a purely organic game. Brian Roberts, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for spontaneity

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin spontāneitāt-, spontāneitās, from Late Latin spontāneus "voluntary, unconstrained, spontaneous" + Latin -itāt-, -itās -ity

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spontaneity was in 1651

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spontaneity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spontaneity. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

spontaneity

noun
spon·​ta·​ne·​ity
ˌspänt-ən-ˈē-ət-ē,
ˌspänt-ᵊn-,
-ˈā-ət-
: the quality or state of being spontaneous

More from Merriam-Webster on spontaneity

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!