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To ad-lib (from the Latin ad libitum, "at one's pleasure") is to invent dialogue on the spot. An ad-lib is a line of such dialogue.
A director may encourage ad-libbing during rehearsals as a means of exploring characters and situations, or of improving a script. Unprompted ad-libbing, however, is usually regarded as unprofessional and annoying behavior.
Occasionally, a quick-witted actor can ad-lib to cover up a missed cue or dropped line during a performance, but ad-libbing to expand one's role or upstage another actor is extremely poor form.
"Ad-libbing" usually refers to a few lines of dialogue within a scripted performance. Creating an entire performance without a script is improvisation.
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