ad hoc: M-W's Word of the Day

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The Word of the Day for August 1 is:

ad hoc \AD-HOCK\ adjective
1 a : concerned with a particular end or purpose *b : formed or used for specific or immediate problems or needs
2 : fashioned from whatever is immediately available : improvised

Example sentence:
When her car broke down, Susannah managed an ad hoc repair that lasted long enough to get it to the mechanic's.

Did you know?
In Latin, "ad hoc" literally means "for this." That historical meaning is clearly reflected in contemporary English uses of "ad hoc" -- anything that is "ad hoc" can be thought of as existing "for this purpose only." For example, an "ad hoc committee" is generally authorized to look into a single matter of limited scope, not to pursue any interesting issue. "Ad hoc" can also be used as an adverb meaning "for the case at hand apart from other applications," as in "a commission created ad hoc." The adverb is older (it has been used in English since the mid-17th century), but the adjective is no quickly improvised addition to our language; it has been part of English since at least 1879.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

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