Pitch Dictionary by pitch.dog
Directing language & playable notes · Working

Ad-lib

Also called: adlib

ELI5

Dialogue or action improvised by a performer beyond the fixed script.

Used in conversation

“The ad-lib should come through in behaviour, not only in treatment language.”

Pitch context

A director may use this term to turn a broad intention into a specific performance or casting choice.

Why it matters: Translates creative intention into casting, rehearsal, performance and on-set direction.

Connected terms

  • ImprovisationAn ad-lib is a spontaneous addition or variation, often brief; improvisation is a broader unscripted performance process.
Sources & evidence · 8

Direct term-level sources and supporting source families.