ad hoc

1 of 2

adverb

ˈad-ˈhäk  -ˈhōk 

ˈäd-ˈhōk

: for the particular end or case at hand without consideration of wider application

The decisions were made ad hoc.

ad hoc

2 of 2

adjective

1

a

: concerned with a particular end or purpose

an ad hoc investigating committee

b

: formed or used for specific or immediate problems or needs

ad hoc solutions

2

: fashioned from whatever is immediately available : improvised

large ad hoc parades and demonstrations

—Nat Hentoff

Did you know?

In Latin ad hoc literally means "for this," and in English it describes anything that can be thought of as existing "for this purpose only." For example, an ad hoc committee is generally authorized to look into a single matter of limited scope, not to pursue any issue of interest. Ad hoc can also be used as an adverb meaning "for the particular end or case at hand without consideration of wider application," as in "decisions were made ad hoc."

Synonyms

Adjective

• ad-lib
• down and dirty
• extemporaneous
• extemporary
• extempore
• impromptu
• improvisational
• improvised
• off-the-cuff
• offhand
• offhanded
• snap
• spur-of-the-moment
• unconsidered
• unplanned
• unpremeditated
• unprepared
• unrehearsed
• unstudied

Examples of ad hoc in a Sentence

Adjective

The mayor appointed an ad hoc committee to study the project.

We had to make some ad hoc changes to the plans.

We'll hire more staff on an ad hoc basis.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Also in 2020, an administrator in the UC office that approves college-prep courses organized an ad hoc committee that recommended data science be formally approved as a substitute for algebra 2. —Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024

Until now, Ukraine has not had a national plan on how to deal with the mine problem—its ad hoc response has been split between the military, NGOs, a small number of private mine-clearance companies, and a small network of government mine-clearance operators. —Justin Ling, WIRED, 19 Feb. 2024

Expect others to resort to a mishmash of ad hoc solutions, policy experts say. —Brian Fung, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024

The evacuation of their son was part of a growing number of hasty and ad hoc departures from Haiti, which has been convulsed by a surge of gang violence that has turned parts of the capital, Port-au-Prince, into a war zone and has shut down the main airport. —David C. Adams, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024

The ad hoc studio was so slapped together, that at multiple points throughout the recording process, power for the entire building would blow out. —Stephen Daw, Billboard, 20 Mar. 2024

Earthen mounds, concrete roadblocks and ad hoc checkpoints also sever communities from main roads. —Sufian Taha, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024

The net effect of so much power in the hands of individual council members is ad hoc decision-making dominated by the financial interests of developers and the desires of NIMBYs. —David Plymyer, Baltimore Sun, 31 Jan. 2024

The council’s Housing, Safety and Community Committee is interested in putting together an ad hoc working group of stakeholders to address three key issues, committee chair Victoria Watlington said Tuesday at the council’s annual retreat in Winston-Salem. —Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 23 Jan. 2024

Adjective

The Sardines, an ad hoc band led by music director Kurt Cowling on keyboards and featuring singer Leah Gawel, play music originally performed and mostly composed by '90s lounge revivalists Combustible Edison. —Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2023

Ukraine has also called for the creation of a special United Nations tribunal, akin to ad hoc bodies set up to address war crimes in the former Yugoslavia and elsewhere. —Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2023

The council appointed Mayor Dane White and Deputy Mayor Joe Garcia to an ad hoc subcommittee on homelessness. —Laura Groch, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2023

Petryk runs communications at MacPaw and is a cofounder of the Ukrainian PR Army, an ad hoc group of Ukrainian PR and marketing professionals trying to combat Russian propaganda by sending out pro-Ukranian missives to journalists and governments. —Lauren Goode, WIRED, 25 Feb. 2023

And that bill continued to grow as the regime of ad hoc restrictions continued into late 2022, long past when most of the rest of the world had learned to live with the virus. —Christian Shepherd, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2023

Membership also includes access to virtual workshops, podcasts, and GrowthMentor’s community Slack channel, and ad hoc in-person events hosted in 14 cities globally. —Paolo Confino, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2023

But this ad hoc approach raises questions of equity. —Jenny Vrentas, New York Times, 29 Jan. 2023

The Concerned Citizens of NY-03 describes itself as an ad hoc, nonpartisan group of residents who want Santos out of office. —Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 17 Jan. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

borrowed from Latin, "for this"

Adjective

derivative of ad hoc entry 1

First Known Use

Adverb

1639, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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Legal Definition

ad hoc

1 of 2 adverb

ˈad-ˈhäk, -ˈhōk; ˈäd-ˈhōk 

: for the particular end or case at hand without consideration of wider application

ad hoc

2 of 2 adjective

1

: concerned with a particular end or purpose

an ad hoc investigating committee

2

: formed or used for specific or immediate problems or needs

ad hoc solutions

Etymology

Adverb

Latin, for this