ad infinitum

adverb or adjective ad in·fi·ni·tum \ ˌad-ˌin-fə-ˈnī-təm also ˌäd- \

|Updated on: 5 Aug 2018

Definition of ad infinitum

: without end or limit

See ad infinitum defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of ad infinitum from the Web

Wimbledon doesn't use tiebreakers in the fifth set for men, or third set for women, so there's nothing to prevent a match from continuing ad infinitum.

— howard fendrich, chicagotribune.com, "Illinois alumnus Kevin Anderson beats John Isner in longest semifinal in Wimbledon history," 13 July 2018
But, at least historically, with the bigger rockets, people haven't been willing to sit around ad infinitum to go ad astra.

— sarah scoles, WIRED, "Never Prebook Your Return Flight From a Rocket Launch," 6 July 2018
That is what's missing from other fictional characters with OCD: bad thoughts that dovetail into more bad thoughts ad infinitum.

— stacey grant, Seventeen, "An Open Letter to John Green about OCD Portrayal in "Turtles All the Way Down"," 19 Oct. 2017
Could the result be that real-life models and influencers become obsolete, or will their likenesses be frozen in time and replicated ad infinitum?

— emilia petrarca, The Cut, "Body Con Job," 11 May 2018
Ethiopians seemed to circle Americans, who seemed to circle Ethiopians, who seemed to circle Americans, ad infinitum, on my walks back and forth, to and from the bus stop, the convenience store, the laundromat.

— emily st. john mandel, New York Times, "The Mysterious ‘Parking Lot Attendant’ at the Center of a Web of Intrigue," 4 May 2018
The economic consequences of our changing buying habits have been debated ad infinitum.

— ron grossman, chicagotribune.com, "Even Socrates may have mourned the closing of Toys R Us," 26 Mar. 2018
Absent an injunction, Redbox will continue to sell Codes for Disney’s next Combo Pack release (Black Panther) and releases after that ad infinitum.

— eriq gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, "Disney Looks to Stop Redbox From Selling 'Black Panther' Download Codes," 9 Apr. 2018
One of the highlights of the show is its recreated Hall of Mirrors, which is sure to become an Internet sensation that will cast reflections, ad infinitum, on social media platforms.

— Vogue, "19 Runway Looks That Would’ve Fit Right In at Versailles," 9 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ad infinitum.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.