ad hoc

American  

[ad hok, ahd hohk] / æd ˈhɒk, ɑd ˈhoʊk /

adverb

1. for the special purpose or end presently under consideration.

   a committee formed ad hoc to deal with the issue.

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adjective

1. concerned or dealing with a specific subject, purpose, or end.

   The ad hoc committee disbanded after making its final report.

ad hoc British  

/ æd ˈhɒk /

adjective

1. for a particular purpose only; lacking generality or justification

   an ad hoc decision

   an ad hoc committee

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ad hoc Cultural  

1. A phrase describing something created especially for a particular occasion: “We need an ad hoc committee to handle this new problem immediately.” From Latin, meaning “toward this (matter).”

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ad hoc Idioms  

1. For the special purpose or end at hand; also, by extension, improvised or impromptu. The term, Latin for “to this,” is most often used for committees established for a specific purpose, as in The committee was formed ad hoc to address health insurance problems. The term is also used as an adjective (An ad hoc committee was formed), and has given rise to the noun adhocism for the tendency to use temporary, provisional, or improvised methods to deal with a particular problem. [Early 1600s]

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Usage

What does ad hoc mean? Something ad hoc is put together on the fly for one narrow, pressing, or special purpose. For example, a government committee arranged to address one specific problem would be an ad hoc committee. More loosely, it can mean "spontaneous," "unplanned," or "on the spot."Ad hoc is one of those Latin phrases commonly found in academic, law, and government contexts. It literally means "for this (thing)."

Etymology

Origin of ad hoc

First recorded in 1550–60; from Latin ad hōc “for this, to this”

Example Sentences

The National Bureau of Economic Research said an ad hoc committee reviewed Summers’s conduct and recommended the termination of his appointment as a research associate with the organization.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

“We have never raised objections to particular military operations nor attempted to limit use of our technology in an ad hoc manner,” he said in a blog post.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

Parking is handled ad hoc, on a first-come, first-served basis.

From Slate • Feb. 23, 2026

Hapag-Lloyd said in an ad hoc release that it is in negotiations to buy all of ZIM’s shares but is yet to enter into a binding agreement.

From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026

The lack of criticism evidenced by our ad hoc community influenced me, and set a tone of tolerance for my life.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou

Related Words

• impromptu
• provisional