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 ants were adding nutrients to the mud and hastening the reestablishment of less ad hoc food chains,” he wrote.

From Literature

While this ad hoc adjustment will probably make the authors cringe, the results show that the share of Social Security income remaining after out-of-pocket medical spending is 71% for the median beneficiary.

From MarketWatch

Since last summer, FAT Brands has been in talks with an ad hoc group of lenders to restructure its debt of some $1.4 billion out of court, a sum primarily held in special purpose vehicles.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Establishing gang units from time to time is an ad hoc response to a growing problem. I really don't think that we should be approaching this matter in a point-scoring way."

From BBC

Earlier this fall, she said, she called for the creation of an ad hoc committee that could serve as a bridge between the council and residents.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• impromptu
• provisional