ad hoc

[ad hok, ahd hohk]

adverb

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

   a committee formed ad hoc to deal with the issue.

adjective

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

   The ad hoc committee disbanded after making its final report.

ad hoc

/ æd ˈhɒk /

adjective

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

   an ad hoc decision

   an ad hoc committee

ad hoc

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).”

Word History and Origins

Origin of ad hoc¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ad hoc¹

Latin, literally: to this

Idioms and Phrases

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]

Related Words

• impromptu 
• provisional 

When To Use

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)."