ad hoc
adverb
- for a particular purpose; in response to a specific need
adjective
- for a particular purpose; in response to a specific need
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˌæd ˈhɒk/ / /ˌæd ˈhɑk/ / /ˌæd ˈhɔk/
adj
Etymology: Learned borrowing from New Latin ad hoc (“to this, for this”).
- For a particular purpose.
- Created on the spur of the moment; impromptu.
“Over the past 20 years or so, from South America to the Danube basin, ad hoc coalitions of politicians, activists and conscience-stricken billionaires (whose core activities, such as Povlsen’s clothing business, are often less than environmentally friendly), have rewilded millions of acres of mostly failed agricultural and grazing land.”
- Postulated solely to save a theory from being falsified, without making any new predictions.
“Contrary to the traditional condoning of ad hoc hypotheses, and in line with Popper's and Grünbaum's approaches, we see, once an ad hoc hypothesis is introduced we are unhappy about it and try to eliminate it.”
- Independent of previously instated network structure, like routers or access points.
“An ad hoc network is a group of wireless mobile nodes dynamically forming a temporary network without any fixed infrastructure or centralized administration. The applications for ad hoc networks have grown tremendously with the increase in the use of wireless sensor networks.”
adv
Etymology: Learned borrowing from New Latin ad hoc (“to this, for this”).
- On the spur of the moment.
- For a particular purpose.