Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning 'for this' and refers to solutions designed for specific purposes rather than generalized ones. Common examples include ad hoc committees, temporary military task forces, and specialized network protocols like the ad hoc network. The term also describes provisional or improvised methods, giving rise to the noun adhocism, emphasizing flexibility in problem-solving. Informally, "ad hoc" denotes makeshift solutions tailored to immediate needs, highlighting their temporary and specific nature across various fields.
news.bbc.co.ukStyling
Style guides disagree on whether Latin phrases like ad hoc should be italicized. The trend is not to use italics.2 For example, The Chicago Manual of Style recommends that familiar Latin phrases that are listed in the Webster's Dictionary, including "ad hoc", not be italicized.34[unreliable source?]
Hypothesis
Main article: Ad hoc hypothesis
In science and philosophy, ad hoc means the addition of extraneous hypotheses to a theory to save it from being falsified. Ad hoc hypotheses compensate for anomalies not anticipated by the theory in its unmodified form.
Scientists are often skeptical of scientific theories that rely on frequent, unsupported adjustments to sustain them. Ad hoc hypotheses are often characteristic of pseudo-scientific subjects such as homeopathy.5
In the military
In the military, ad hoc units are created during unpredictable situations, when the cooperation between different units is suddenly needed for fast action, or from remnants of previous units which have been overrun or otherwise whittled down.
In governance
In national and sub-national governance, ad hoc bodies may be established to deal with specific problems not easily accommodated by the current structure of governance or to address multi-faceted issues spanning several areas of governance. In the UK and other commonwealth countries, ad hoc Royal Commissions 6 may be set up to address specific questions as directed by parliament.
In diplomacy
In diplomacy, diplomats may be appointed by a government as special envoys, or diplomats who serve on a ad hoc basis due to the possibility that such envoys' offices may either not be retained by a future government or may only exist during the duration of a relevant cause.
Networking
Main article: Wireless ad hoc network
The term ad hoc networking typically refers to a system of network elements that combine to form a network requiring little or no planning.
See also
- Ad hoc testing
- Ad infinitum
- Ad libitum
- Adhocracy
- Democracy
- Heuristic
- House rule
- Russell's teapot
- Inductive reasoning
- Confirmation bias
- Cherry picking
Further reading
- Rheingold, Howard. (2002), Smart Mobs: the Next Social Revolution, Perseus
External links
- The dictionary definition of ad hoc at Wiktionary
References
American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms, 2nd Edition ↩
Yateendra Joshi, " Latin phrases in scientific writing: italics or not", editage Insights, January 14, 2014 https://www.editage.com/insights/latin-phrases-in-scientific-writing-italics-or-not ↩
"Italics". The Economist. Retrieved 6 January 2016. https://www.economist.com/style-guide/italics ↩
"When to italicize foreign words and phrases". Grammarpartyblog.com. 23 February 2012. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20180622140057/https://grammarpartyblog.com/2012/02/23/when-to-italicize-foreign-words-and-phrases/ ↩
Carroll, Robert T. (23 February 2012), "Ad hoc hypothesis", The Skeptic's Dictionary, John Wiley & Sons, retrieved 27 May 2013 http://skepdic.com/adhoc.html ↩
"Royal commissions". BBC. 27 October 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2021. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/258957.stm ↩