Ad hoc

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

Not to be confused withA priori and a posteriori.

Ad hocis aLatin phrasemeaning literally'for this'.InEnglish,it typically signifies a solution designed for a specific purpose, problem, or task rather than ageneralizedsolution adaptable to collateral instances (compare witha priori).

Common examples include ad hoccommitteesand commissions created at the national or international level for a specific task, and the term is often used to describe arbitration (ad hoc arbitration). In other fields, the term could refer to a military unit created under special circumstances (seetask force), a handcraftednetwork protocol(e.g.,ad hoc network), a temporary collaboration among geographically-linked franchise locations (of a given national brand) to issue advertising coupons, or a purpose-specificequationin mathematics or science.

Ad hoc can also function as an adjective describing temporary, provisional, or improvised methods to deal with a particular problem, the tendency of which has given rise to the nounadhocism.This concept highlights the flexibility and adaptability often required in problem-solving across various domains.

In everyday language, "ad hoc" is sometimes used informally to describe improvised or makeshift solutions, emphasizing their temporary nature and specific applicability to immediate circumstances.

Styling

Style guides disagree on whether Latin phrases like ad hoc should be italicized. The trend is not to use italics.For example,The Chicago Manual of Stylerecommends that familiar Latin phrases that are listed in theWebster's Dictionary,including "ad hoc", not be italicized.

Hypothesis

Main article:Ad hoc hypothesis

Inscienceandphilosophy,ad hoc means the addition of extraneoushypothesesto atheoryto save it from beingfalsified.Ad hoc hypotheses compensate for anomalies not anticipated by the theory in its unmodified form.

Scientists are oftenskepticalofscientific theoriesthat rely on frequent, unsupported adjustments to sustain them. Ad hoc hypotheses are often characteristic ofpseudo-scientificsubjects such ashomeopathy.

In the military

TheCeremonial Guardparading inOttawa.The CG is an ad hoc unit of theCanadian Forces.

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 othercommonwealthcountries, ad hocRoyal Commissionsmay be set up to address specific questions as directed byparliament.

Networking

Main article:Wireless ad hoc network

The termad hoc networkingtypically 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 ofad hocat Wiktionary