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ad libitum

[ ad lib-i-tuhm; Latin ahd lib-i-toom ]
/ æd ˈlɪb ɪ təm; Latin ɑd ˈlɪb ɪˌtʊm /
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adjective, adverb
at one's pleasure.
Music. not obligatory or indispensable. Abbreviation: ad lib.
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Origin of ad libitum

Borrowed into English from Latin around 1695–1705

Words nearby ad libitum

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ad libitum in a sentence

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
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