ad libitum
Americanadjective
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at one's pleasure.
-
Music. not obligatory or indispensable. ad lib.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of ad libitum
Borrowed into English from Latin around 1695–1705
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Participants were assigned either to an ad libitum low-fat vegan diet centered on fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes, or to a control group that continued eating as usual without making any dietary changes.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
In a randomized clinical trial involving adults with overweight, participants who followed an ad libitum low-fat vegan diet substantially reduced the number of calories per gram of food they consumed.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
One group was permitted ad libitum feeding, which is eating whenever they wanted.
From Salon ● Jan. 25, 2023
This form of husbandry, known as ad libitum feeding, is cheap and convenient since animal technicians need only check the hoppers from time to time to make sure they haven’t run dry.
From Slate ● Nov. 16, 2011
The singer is obliged to follow the harper, who may change the tune, or perform variations ad libitum, whilst the vocalist must keep time, and end precisely with the strain.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 2 "Ehud" to "Electroscope" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
