In music what does rubato mean?

In music, rubato (Italian: "robbed") is a musical technique that involves slight deviations from strict tempo, in order to convey expressiveness or emotion. When performing rubato, a musician may temporarily stretch or compress certain durations, giving a fluid and flexible feeling to the music. It is a way of "stealing" time from one note and giving it to another, thereby creating subtle variations in phrasing and tempo.

Usually, the tempo of the main pulse remains steady while notes may be played earlier or later, and sustained longer or cut shorter, relative to the notated values. These time adjustments are intended to add musical feeling and interpretation, allowing for increased artistry and individuality in the performance.

Rubato differs from rallentando (meaning gradually to play more slowly) or accelerando (to speed up) in that, with rubato, the deviations can be sudden and irregular. When applied, rubato imparts a poetic spontaneity and human quality to the music.

It's a common technique throughout music history, particularly in Western classical music of the Romantic period and some forms of folk, jazz, and other musical genres. It is an improvisational device and adds a significant dimension to performances both on the instrumental and vocal front.