At the discretion of the performer. Used chiefly as a direction giving license to alter or omit a part.
[Latin ad, according to + libitum, past participle of libēre, to please.]
Dictionary:
ad lib·i·tum (ăd lĭb'ĭ-təm) ![]() |
[Latin ad, according to + libitum, past participle of libēre, to please.]
| Music Encyclopedia: Ad libitum |
‘At liberty’: it may be used, for example, to indicate that a part so marked may be left out, or that the performer may depart from strict tempo.
| Veterinary Dictionary: ad libitum |
Without restraint.
| Latin Phrase: Ad Libitum |
At one's pleasure, usually abbreviated ad lib
| Wikipedia: Ad libitum |
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| Look up ad libitum in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
Ad libitum is Latin for "at [one's] pleasure"; it is often shortened to "ad lib" (as an adjective or adverb) or "ad-lib" (as a verb or noun). The roughly synonymous phrase a bene placito ("at [one's] good pleasure") is less common but, in its Italian form a piacere, entered the musical lingua franca (see below).
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As a direction in sheet music, ad libitum indicates that the performer or conductor has one of a variety of types of discretion with respect to a given passage:
Note that the direction a piacere (see above) has a more restricted meaning, generally referring to only the first two types of discretion.
Ad libitum is also used in psychology and biology to refer to the "free-feeding" weight of an animal, as opposed, for example, to the weight after a restricted diet. For example, "The rat's ad libitum weight was about 320 grams." In nutritional studies, this phrase denotes providing an animal free access to feed or water thereby allowing the animal to self-regulate intake according to its biological needs. For example, "Rats were given ad libitum access to food and water."
In biological field studies it can also mean that information or data were obtained spontaneously without a specific method.
Medical prescriptions may use the abbreviation ad lib. to indicate "freely" or that as much as one desires should be used.
In action, the quick-witted invention of dialogue to cover a performer's memory lapse would be described as an ad-lib. Or, a director might encourage performers to ad-lib in a particular show. The term ad-lib usually refers to the interpolation of unscripted material in an otherwise scripted performance. When the entire performance is predicated on spontaneous creation, the process is usually called improvisation, such as in the show Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Live performers such as television talk-show hosts (e.g., Jay Leno, David Letterman, etc.) sometimes enhance their reputation for wit by the delivery of material that sounds ad-libbed but is actually scripted, and may employ ad-lib writers to prepare such material. Some actors are also known for their ability or tendency to ad-lib, such as Peter Falk (of the series Columbo), who would ad-lib such mannerisms as absent-mindedness while in character.
It is a common misconception[citation needed] that "ad lib" stands for "adding liberally". Although it may hold the same meaning, the origin is not true.
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
| ad. lib. | |
| ad lib (biology) | |
| beneplacito, beneplacimento |
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![]() | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Music Encyclopedia. The Concise Grove Dictionary of Music. Copyright © 1994 by Oxford University Press, Inc.. All rights reserved. Read more | |
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