definitions

ad libitum

[ ad lib-i-tuh m; Latin ahd lib-i-too m ]
/ æd ˈlɪb ɪ təm; Latin ɑd ˈlɪb ɪˌtʊm /
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ad libitum ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, adverb

at one's pleasure.
Music. not obligatory or indispensable. Abbreviation: ad lib.

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RELATED WORDS

ad-lib, extemporaneous, freely, impromptu, improvised, impulsive, made-up, offhand, spontaneously, unrehearsed, off-the-cuff

Nearby words

ad int., ad interim, ad kalendas graecas, ad lib, ad lib., ad libitum, ad litem, ad litteram, ad loc., ad majorem dei gloriam, ad nauseam

Origin of ad libitum

Borrowed into English from Latin around 1695–1705
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for ad libitum

ad libitum

/ (ˈlɪbɪtʊm, -təm) /

adjective, adverb

music (to be performed) at the performer's discretionOften shortened to: ad lib

Word Origin for ad libitum

see ad-lib
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012