ad lib.
Writing & Everyday abbreviation · Latin
| Stands for | Ad libitum (at one's pleasure) |
|---|---|
| Categories | Writing & Everyday |
| Also written | ad lib |
ad lib. stands for Ad libitum (at one's pleasure), a Latin abbreviation also used in medicine.
Indicates freedom to improvise or to vary something as desired. Performers ad-lib unscripted lines, musical scores mark passages to be played freely, and laboratory protocols use it for unlimited access to food or water.
Example: The script ran short, so the host had to ad lib for two minutes until the satellite feed returned.
Usage notes
As a verb or adjective it is usually hyphenated, ad-lib, with the past tense ad-libbed. In music, ad libitum may let the performer vary the tempo, add ornaments or omit an optional part, depending on the composer; the opposite instruction is obbligato, marking a part that must be played. Scientific papers write "fed ad libitum" for animals given free access to food.
Related abbreviations
More Latin abbreviations
- a.m. – Ante meridiem (before midday)
- a.u.c. – Ab urbe condita (from the founding of the city)
- AD – Anno Domini (in the year of the Lord)
- ad inf. – Ad infinitum (to infinity)
- aet. – Aetatis (aged, at the age of)
- c. – Circa (around, approximately)
- cet. par. – Ceteris paribus (other things being equal)
- cf. – Confer (compare)
- CV – Curriculum vitae (course of life)
- d. – Denarius (penny)
- D.G. – Dei gratia (by the grace of God)
- D.V. – Deo volente (God willing)