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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

spontaneity en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈspɒn.tə.neɪ.ə.ti/ (UK)
  • (UK) audio

Etymology

From Latin spontaneus (“voluntary”). By surface analysis, spont(aneous) + -aneity. Compare French spontanéité.

Meanings

  1. (uncountable) The quality of being spontaneous.
    • In any case, they are not very big on spontaneity. They sit on him for a few minutes before they decide what to do next. 1992, Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash, page 400:
    • The unpredictability of Gemini was then contrasted with examples of human spontaneity, like the splatter technique of Jackson Pollock. 2025 January 30, Tessa Solomon, “AI Art Lacking ‘Human Expression’ Cannot Be Copyrighted, US Officials Say”, in ARTnews:
  2. (countable) Spontaneous behaviour.
    • Romney Leigh, who lives by diagrams, / And crosses out the spontaneities / Of all his individual, personal life / With formal universals. 1856, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “Third Book”, in Aurora Leigh, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1857, →OCLC:
  3. (countable, uncountable) The tendency to undergo change, characteristic of both animal and vegetable organisms, and not restrained or checked by the environment.
  4. (countable, uncountable) The tendency to activity of muscular tissue, including the voluntary muscles, when in a state of healthful vigour and refreshment.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
spontaneities Number=Plur lexicographic

Antonyms

discipline (antonym(s) of “quality of being spontaneous”)

Deriveds

unspontaneity · aspontaneity

Relateds

spontaneous

Synonyms

abruptness (quality of being spontaneous) · spontaneousness

Translations (38)

de Laune (spontaneous behaviour) · ru спонта́нность (the quality of being spontaneous) · sh спо̏нта̄но̄ст (the quality of being spontaneous) · ast espontaneidá (the quality of being spontaneous) · gl espontaneidade (the quality of being spontaneous) · da spontanitet (the quality of being spontaneous) · nn spontanitet (the quality of being spontaneous) · pl spontaniczność (the quality of being spontaneous) · pt espontaneidade (the quality of being spontaneous) · bg спонта́нност (spontaneous behaviour) · ru спонта́нность (spontaneous behaviour) · nb spontanitet (the quality of being spontaneous) · sh спо̏нта̄но̄ст (spontaneous behaviour) · de Spontanität (the quality of being spontaneous) · cmn 自發性 /自发性 (the quality of being spontaneous) · ko 자발성 (the quality of being spontaneous) · sh spȍntānōst (the quality of being spontaneous) · ro spontaneitate (the quality of being spontaneous) · hi सहजता (spontaneous behaviour) · la spontāneitās (the quality of being spontaneous) · vo libavil (the quality of being spontaneous) · eo spontaneco (the quality of being spontaneous) · el αυθορμητισμός (the quality of being spontaneous) · cs spontánnost (spontaneous behaviour) · es espontaneidad (the quality of being spontaneous) · sh spȍntānōst (spontaneous behaviour) · ja 自発性 (the quality of being spontaneous) · sv spontanitet (the quality of being spontaneous) · fi spontaanisuus (the quality of being spontaneous) · fr spontanéité (the quality of being spontaneous) · hi सहजता (the quality of being spontaneous) · io spontaneso (the quality of being spontaneous) · hu spontaneitás (spontaneous behaviour) · ca espontaneïtat (the quality of being spontaneous) · de Spontaneität (the quality of being spontaneous) · el αυθορμητισμός (spontaneous behaviour) · it spontaneità (the quality of being spontaneous) · cs spontánnost (the quality of being spontaneous)