AD HOC Definition & Meaning

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ad hoc

[ad hok, ahd hohk]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adverb

for the special purpose or end presently under consideration.
a committee formed ad hoc to deal with the issue.

adjective

concerned or dealing with a specific subject, purpose, or end.
The ad hoc committee disbanded after making its final report.

ad hoc

/ æd ˈhɒk /

adjective

for a particular purpose only; lacking generality or justification
an ad hoc decision
an ad hoc committee

ad hoc

A phrase describing something created especially for a particular occasion: “We need an ad hoc committee to handle this new problem immediately.” From Latin, meaning “toward this (matter).”

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of ad hoc¹

First recorded in 1550–60; from Latin ad hōc “for this, to this”

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of ad hoc¹

Latin, literally: to this

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Idioms and Phrases

For the special purpose or end at hand; also, by extension, improvised or impromptu. The term, Latin for “to this,” is most often used for committees established for a specific purpose, as in The committee was formed ad hoc to address health insurance problems. The term is also used as an adjective (An ad hoc committee was formed), and has given rise to the noun adhocism for the tendency to use temporary, provisional, or improvised methods to deal with a particular problem. [Early 1600s]

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

After recent emergencies, EMD handled recovery duties “on an ad hoc basis,” yielding “delays, postponements and possible denial of disaster relief funds,” she wrote.

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City Council ad hoc committee approved updated venue plans presented by LA28, the private organization responsible for hosting the 2028 Games.

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To achieve the special effects of the solar eclipse, the house was reassembled on the largest blue screen sound stage in the world, constructed ad hoc at a hockey arena in Nova Scotia.

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Elon Musk's name was not mentioned during the hearing, but he has been tasked by President Trump with downsizing the federal workforce through the ad hoc Department of Government Efficiency - or Doge.

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“We have heard from the leadership of the department that they cannot give COC ad hoc committees confidential documents,” Kennedy said during Thursday’s special meeting.

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Related 51�Թ�s

impromptu��
provisional��

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When To Use

What does��ad hoc mean?

Something ad hoc is put together on the fly for one narrow, pressing, or special purpose. For example, a government committee arranged to address one specific problem would be an ad hoc committee. More loosely, it can mean "spontaneous," "unplanned," or "on the spot."Ad hoc is one of those Latin phrases commonly found in academic, law, and government contexts. It literally means "for this (thing)."

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