Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ad lib” come from?

ad lib (English) comes from English ad libitum, from New Latin ad libitum — at one's pleasure, allowing freedom to improvise,...

ad lib (English): At pleasure; At will; To whatever extent

Definitions

  1. At pleasure; At will; To whatever extent

Ancestry of “ad lib”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishad libitumAs much as desired, to one's fill, without...
2New Latinad libitumat one's pleasure, allowing freedom to improvise,...

Words derived from “ad lib”

  • ad-libber
  • ad-lib
Every word from New Latin ad libitum →