Ad hoc

Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". In English, it generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes (compare with a priori).

Common examples are ad hoc organizations, committees, and commissions created at the national or international level for a specific task. In other fields, the term could refer, for example, to a military unit created under special circumstances, a tailor-made suit, a handcrafted network protocol, or a purpose-specific equation.

Ad hoc can also mean makeshift solutions, shifting contexts to create new meanings, inadequate planning, or improvised events.

Styling

According to The Chicago Manual of Style, familiar Latin phrases that are listed in Merriam-Webster, such as "ad hoc", should not be italicized.

Ad hoc hypothesis

In science and philosophy, ad hoc means the addition of extraneous hypotheses to a theory to save it from being falsified. Ad hoc hypotheses compensate for anomalies not anticipated by the theory in its unmodified form.

Ad hoc (disambiguation)

Ad hoc is a Latin phrase. It may also refer to:

Ad Hoc (restaurant)

Ad Hoc is a family-stylecomfort food restaurant in Yountville, California. Opened by Thomas Keller in September 2006, Ad Hoc was meant to serve as a temporary cafe for six months but was retained as a permanent establishment.

Early years

Thomas Keller opened Ad Hoc in 2006 to serve as a temporary cafe. His intention was to have Ad Hoc serve as a six-month venture while preparing his new restaurant for the space, which would focus on hamburger and wine pairings. Ad Hoc was opened quickly, with little changes to the decor in the temporary space, and serving a nightly single four-course meal at a flat price. One menu allowed Ad Hoc to limit problems with finding and stocking ingredients, and menus were planned loosely about a week in advance, and finalized 48 hours before. Occasionally the menu would change based on seasonal ingredients or last minute ingredient availabilities.

In 2006, Keller was interviewed by food critic Michael Bauer from SFGate and was asked if the venture would really be temporary. In response, he stated that he did not know and that if it was to go beyond the six month time period they would need to change the name and "...Maybe we'd call it Ad Lib." Bauer stated that the restaurant would become a permanent establishment, and described it having a "Chez Panisse sensibility."