ad libitum
Americanadjective
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at one's pleasure.
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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.
In the experiment, the mice on the ad libitum schedule gained weight and experienced metabolic dysfunction, whereas the mice on time restricted feeding did not.
From Salon • Jan. 25, 2023
Half of the mice ate all their food in 8 hours during the night, as mice usually do, while the other half ate ad libitum, anytime they wanted.
From Salon • Oct. 9, 2022
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
Question of Love The most striking bit of medical news from the newspaper point of view last week was a Buffalo doctor's prescription for procreating boy or girl babies ad libitum.
From Time Magazine Archive
You may add visitors, records, reports, ad libitum, but the home department may be complete and satisfactory without these.
From Sunday-School Success A Book of Practical Methods for Sunday-School Teachers and Officers by Wells, Amos R.
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.
