ad hocv.
/ˌad ˈhɒk/, U.S. /ˌæd ˈhɑk/, /ˌæd ˈhoʊk/ Chiefly depreciative.
1. intransitive. To act or respond on an ad hoc basis, rather than in accordance with general long-term strategies; to improvise.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > intention > unintentional or unplanned character > [verb (intransitive)] > act or do without planning
improvise1788
to go off1812
improvisatize1830
autoschediaze1852
wing1959
ad hoc1960
audible1970
1960 20th Cent. Dec. 588 The Children's Department, generous-hearted, chaotic, brilliantly ad-hocing.
1989 in R. J. Wilder Listening to Sea (1998) ii. iv. 125 There is a universal sense that the OCS Lands Act does not work, and we are ad hocking day to day.
2001 ABC News (Nexis) 23 Sept. They seem to be almost ad hocing..as they meet particular challenges, rather than..forming a larger picture of what they want to do with the presidency.
2. transitive. To practise or create by using ad hoc measures, typically without recourse to method, policy, etc.; to assemble or organize chaotically.
ΚΠ
1968 H. E. D. Harris Irish Regiments First World War 182 To man this last line Gough sent any officers and men on whom he could lay hands... Guns, transport, etc., were ad-hocced and all stragglers were systematically added to it.
1989 Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 46 940/1 The polygenic theory would appear badly ad hoc'd.
2008 North Shore (Brit. Columbia) News (Nexis) 14 Sept. 6 It was agreed to be the blueprint for our city. If it is ripped up or ignored, we are ‘ad hocing’ development with absolutely no thought for the future.
Derivatives
ˌad ˈhocing n.
ΚΠ
1960 C. Ray Merry Eng. 136 The Civil Servant who complained..about ‘all this adhocking’.
1994 Software Process Technol.: Proc. Third European Workshop EWSPT'94 61 Overly prescriptive processes and management styles also serve to problematise the ‘normal’ ad-hocing that engineers do when problems arise.
2000 Federal News Service (Nexis) 26 July When push comes to shove, agencies still do an awful lot of ‘ad hocing’.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2011; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
ad hocadv.adj.
/ˌad ˈhɒk/, U.S. /ˌæd ˈhɑk/, /ˌæd ˈhoʊk/ A. adv.
For a particular purpose; in response to a specific need or demand; to this end.Sometimes implying a lack of consistency or method.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > intention > [adverb] > for a or the particular purpose
for the noncec1175
speciallyc1325
express1386
purposelyc1520
expresslya1616
for the very nonce1627
ad hoc1639
of the nonce1665
on the very nonce1665
determinately1862
1639 W. Laud Relation Conf. Lawd & Fisher 22 It looses not only this assistance, but all assistance ad hoc, to this, that they may remaine any longer a true Church.
1659 R. Baxter Key for Catholicks ii. iv. 451 Ad hoc the Magistrate is the only Judge what is sound doctrine.
1795 J. Adams View Universal Hist. III. xix. 196 When the people delegated you, they created you a trial ad hoc, to try Louis Capet.
1809 Edinb. Rev. Jan. 433 The conscripts are..examined..by a special commission, created ad hoc by the prefect.
1835 Q. Rev. Sept. 572 Robespierre was chosen President of the Convention ad hoc.
1875 W. R. Greg Misc. Ess. (1882) vi. 147 A sum not far off two millions per annum will have to be provided ad hoc by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
1925 Amer. Mercury Oct. 218/1 The United States chargé had just died, and the consul..was acting ad hoc.
1986 G. Priestland Something Understood x. 264 I helped him ad hoc on one or two scripts, but as a regular member of his staff I would have felt inhibited.
2005 Amer. Health Line (Nexis) 27 Apr. This research is being done for the best interests of tens of millions of patients... It's not something that's being done ad hoc by rogue scientists.
B. adj.
Created or done for a particular purpose; that answers a specific need or demand, rather than in accordance with a general policy, rule, etc.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > intention > [adjective] > relating to intention or purpose > intended or purposed > for some specific purpose
destinate1582
destinated1604
pro-renascent1647
destined1654
ad hoc1879
targeted1969
1853 C. C. F. Greville Mem. (1887) I. iii. ii. 51 There are already symptoms of a possible combination ad hoc.]
1879 Time Apr. 3 The special matter that brought about the ad hoc departure from the Lawrentian policy.
1904 Fabian News Aug. 29/1 A report..on the total abolition of ad hoc bodies was read.
1948 ‘N. Shute’ No Highway 2 Short-term ad hoc experiments to solve a particular problem.
1980 D. Terman Free Flight (1981) xi. 178 Everything I saw in terms of administration seemed to be ad hoc.
2010 Church Times 16 Apr. 23/2 Mostly, it's the funeral director who finds the gravedigger—a local builder or a retired person who does it on an ad hoc basis.
Derivatives
ad ˈhocness n. the quality or state of being ad hoc; the use of (or tendency to use) ad hoc measures.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > advantage > expediency > expedience > [noun]
expedience1608
expediency1618
opportunism1870
ad hocness1907
1907 Paidologist 9 74 The opposite of ad hocness..—not once a week, not at certain specified hours, but always.
1930 A. Flexner Universities ii. 71 ‘Ad-hoc-ness’, if..I may be permitted to invent an indefensible word, is not confined to courses or curricula.
2001 M. Fullan New Meaning of Educ. Change (2005) ii. vii. 79 The lack of a..serious sharing and reflection among teachers creates ambiguity and ad hocness.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2011; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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v.1960
adv.adj.1639