Ad hoc meaning in business: set up for this
In business, ad hoc means arranged for one purpose when the need comes up, rather than planned in advance. The word gets used for meetings, requests and reports, and for staff hired on an ad hoc basis.
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What ad hoc means in Latin
What ad hoc means word for word
Ad hoc is Latin for “for this”. In English it can also mean improvised. Dictionaries don’t agree on when English first used it.
| Ad hoc in English | Date a dictionary gives |
|---|---|
| The earliest date on offer | 1550 to 1560 |
| As an adverb, “the decisions were made ad hoc” | 1639 |
| As an adjective, “an ad hoc committee”, set up for a particular purpose | 1879 |
The most looked-up jargon in Australia
Australians look up the meaning of ad hoc more than any other office term. It came first of more than 300, at 314,931 searches a year.
| Other office terms | Searches a year |
|---|---|
| Stakeholder | 261,279 |
| Iteration | 119,760 |
Ad hoc at work
Ad hoc meaning in business, phrase by phrase
In corporate jargon, anything ad hoc is made for one job and stops when that job is done.
- An ad hoc meeting is called for one problem and ends once it’s solved. A meeting on a cadence happens every Tuesday whether there’s a problem or not.
- When nobody can decide, an ad hoc meeting ends with a promise to circle back.
- An ad hoc report answers one question, once.
- Ad hoc requests are work that wasn’t in the plan. They usually have “quick” in the subject line.
- An ad hoc committee looks into one matter, then stops. Make it small and urgent and it’s a tiger team.
Ad hoc visits to your desk
Back in the office, ad hoc meetings skip the invite. One starts when a coworker stops at your desk and asks if you’ve got a minute. Nobody booked it, so nobody can decline it.
The only thing that keeps one away is a pair of headphones.
Ad hoc tasks as required
“Ad hoc tasks as required” in a job ad means anything nobody else wants can land on you. In the interview, ask which ad hoc tasks filled the last person’s week.
If the same ad says we’re a family here, ask about that too, starting with who covers the weekends.
A calendar invite for an ad hoc meeting
Ad hocUnplanned: checkout outage, 15 minOne decision: do we roll back tonight. Only the people who can say yes or no, please. No agenda beyond that, and no recurring series.
Ad hoc in a sentence
We'll handle these requests on an ad hoc basis.
I've set up an ad hoc call at 3 to sort out the pricing error, Jonas.
The board formed an ad hoc committee to review the merger, Clara. It disbands in June.
The backup process is very ad hoc, Wim. Bjorn copies the files to a USB stick when he remembers.
Questions about ad hoc
What does adhoc stand for?
Ad hoc doesn't stand for anything. It's two Latin words meaning "for this", and dictionaries spell it as two words, however it gets typed in a hurry.
What is a better word for ad hoc?
Dictionaries offer impromptu and improvised. In a work email, write "as needed" for a task and "one-off" or "unplanned" for a meeting.
Who is an ad hoc staff?
Ad hoc staff are people called in when there's work, with no fixed hours or weekly schedule. On-call and relief staff count, and so does a freelancer booked for one project.
What does "on an ad hoc basis" mean?
On an ad hoc basis means whenever it's needed, with nothing on the calendar. Extra staff hired that way get called for the busy weeks and hear nothing in the quiet ones.
Why do we say ad hoc?
We say ad hoc because it's short. Two Latin words do the job of five English ones, "set up for this purpose". English has used it since at least 1639, and that's long enough for it to pass as office English.
What is ad hoc pay?
Read literally, ad hoc pay is pay "for this", from the Latin: money for one purpose, as opposed to regular salary. US payroll calls pay outside regular wages supplemental wages, and its list includes bonuses, awards and back pay.