# spontaneous

/spɑnˈteɪniəs/ (US) · /spɒntˈeɪniəs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/spontaneous
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. unplanned or impulsive

adjective · CEFR B2

done or said in a natural way without being planned first.

For teachers: arising from a momentary impulse or natural feeling rather than premeditation.

- We made a spontaneous decision to go to the beach since the weather was so beautiful.
- The crowd broke into spontaneous applause as the soloist finished her performance, a reaction that clearly moved the young musician.

### 2. happening naturally

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

happening on its own without any outside cause or help.

For teachers: occurring without apparent external influence or cause; self-generated.

- The forest fire was caused by spontaneous combustion in the dry heat.
- The chemical reaction was entirely spontaneous, requiring no external heat source to initiate the transformation of the compounds.

### 3. wild or uncultivated

adjective · CEFR C2 · Literary

growing or produced naturally without people planting or managing it.

For teachers: produced without human cultivation, labour, or intentional planting.

- The garden was filled with the spontaneous growth of local wildflowers.
- The valley was noted for its spontaneous vegetation, where rare orchids flourished without any human intervention for centuries.

## Examples

- We took a spontaneous trip to the beach today.
- The crowd broke into spontaneous applause when the young musician finished her difficult solo.
- While some researchers argue that the chemical reaction was spontaneous, others believe it was catalyzed by trace amounts of minerals present in the water supply.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.