*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of ad lib

Abbreviation of ad libitum, borrowed from New Latin ad libitum.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗
adj

Extemporaneous, impromptu. · That provides as much as each one desires, to each one's fill, without restriction.

verb

To perform without a script. · To perform without preparation. · To perform extemporaneously. · To perform ad libs; to improvise lyrics after the main lyrics have been recorded.

adv

At pleasure. · At will. · As much as desired, to one's fill, without restriction. · Extemporaneously.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Abbreviation of ad libitum, borrowed from New Latin ad libitum.

This page abbreviates 1 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la-new",
        "3": "ad libitum"
      },
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    }
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      "ad libitum#English"
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      "ad libitum",
      "ad libitum#Latin"
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  "lexical": [
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      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Extemporaneous, impromptu.",
        "That provides as much as each one desires, to each one's fill, without restriction."
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        "To perform without preparation.",
        "To perform extemporaneously.",
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      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
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        "At pleasure.",
        "At will.",
        "As much as desired, to one's fill, without restriction.",
        "Extemporaneously."
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Unnumbered source etymology · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗
noun

An instance of something improvised, especially a line. · Improvised vocals added after the main vocals have been recorded which serve to emphasize the rhythm or fill the lyrical bar line.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Abbreviation of ad libitum, borrowed from New Latin ad libitum.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la-new",
        "3": "ad libitum"
      },
      "expansion": "New Latin ad libitum"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "ad libitum",
      "ad libitum#English"
    ],
    [
      "ad libitum",
      "ad libitum#Latin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Korean",
      "lang_code": "ko",
      "word": "애드리브",
      "roman": "aedeuribeu"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Korean",
      "lang_code": "ko",
      "word": "드립",
      "raw_tags": [
        "from Pseudo-English"
      ],
      "roman": "deurip"
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
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        "An instance of something improvised, especially a line.",
        "Improvised vocals added after the main vocals have been recorded which serve to emphasize the rhythm or fill the lyrical bar line."
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}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for ad lib →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-YWQgbGli