Learn English – What does “ad-hoc” mean

adjectivesmeaning-in-context

I read some articles that used ad-hoc like an adjective.

Questions:

  • What exactly does it mean in this paragraph:

    Needless to say, all of that is pretty painful and error prone. Sure, once you’re familiar with a library, you’d probably just copy it from another project instead of getting it from the web, which makes things a bit easier. But it’s still an overall very ad-hoc process. — Source.

  • Are there any other meanings?

Best Answer

Ad hoc means (as reported by the OED) "created or done for a particular purpose as necessary."

The discussions were on an ad hoc basis.
The group was constituted ad hoc.

The NOAD gives a similar definition: "formed, arranged, or done for a particular purpose only."
The Collins English Dictionary defines ad hoc as "for a particular purpose only; lacking generality or justification."

an ad hoc decision
an ad hoc committee

 

The phrase comes from Latin, and it literally means "to this."

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