Last modified on 10 March 2015, at 04:59

ad hoc

This article is about the Latin phrase. For other uses, see Ad hoc (disambiguation).

ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Common examples are organizations, committees, and commissions created at the national or international level for a specific task. In other fields the term may refer, for example, to a military unit created under special circumstances, a tailor-made suit, a handcrafted network protocol, or a purpose-specific equation. ad hoc can also mean makeshift solutions, shifting contexts to create new meanings, inadequate planning, or improvised events.

ad hoc hypothesisEdit

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 theories that rely on frequent, unsupported adjustments to sustain them. ad hoc hypotheses are often characteristic of pseudoscientific subjects such as homeopathy.[1]

ad hoc militaryEdit

In military, ad hoc units are created during unpredictable situations, when the cooperation between different units is needed for fast action.

ad hoc networkingEdit


See alsoEdit


  1. ^ Carroll, Robert T. (23 February 2012), "Ad hoc hypothesis", The Skeptic's Dictionary (John Wiley & Sons), retrieved 27 May 2013 

Further readingEdit

  • Howard, R. (2002), Smart Mobs: the Next Social Revolution, Perseus 

External linksEdit

  • The dictionary definition of ad hoc at Wiktionary