Ad Hoc

Of Latin provenance, the phrase means, “for this purpose” or made “specifically for this”. On the other hand, a majority of dictionaries simply translate it as “for this”. The term “ad hoc” may be used to connote that a solution is just a mere remedy, made for an issue or problem. As this is the case, it should not, in any way, be treated as a default solution for concerns of the like moving forward.

For instance, the court rules over a case through an ad hoc remedy by reviewing its details and the details of the situation. But the judge takes note that this ruling will not be held as case law that would eventually settle incidents bearing the same nature in the future.

In the field of software development, the term “ad hoc” is usually paired with the term “solution” so as to refer to specific solutions that had been developed to manage and fulfil the needs of a system or user that had been laid out.