Editing Ad libitum (section)

{{short description|Latin expression for "at one's pleasure"}}
{{Redirect|Ad lib|other uses|Ad lib (disambiguation)|and|Ad Libitum (disambiguation)}}
{{Italic title}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2021}}

In [[music]] and other [[performing arts]], the phrase '''{{lang|la|ad libitum}}''' ({{IPAc-en|æ|d|_|ˈ|l|ɪ|b|ɪ|t|əm}}; {{langnf|la||at one's pleasure}} or 'as you desire'), often shortened to "'''ad lib'''" (as an [[adjective]] or [[adverb]]) or "'''ad-lib'''" (as a [[verb]] or [[noun]]), refers to various forms of [[improvisation]].

The roughly synonymous phrase {{lang|la|a bene placito}} ('in accordance with [one's] good pleasure') is less common but, in its Italian form {{lang|it|a piacere}}, has entered the musical ''[[lingua franca]]'' (see below).

The phrase "at liberty" is often associated [[mnemonic]]ally (because of the [[alliteration]] of the ''lib-'' syllable), although it is not the translation (there is no [[cognate|cognation]] between {{lang|la|[[wikt:libitum#Latin|libitum]]}} and {{lang|la|[[wikt:liber#Latin|liber]]}}). [[wikt:libido#Latin|Libido]] is the etymologically closer cognate known in English.

In [[biology]] and [[nutrition]], the phrase is used to describe feeding without restriction.<ref>{{cite web |last1=A. |first1=Antonio |title=Ad Libitum |url=https://kb.wisc.edu/dairynutrient/414RN/page.php?id=56036 |website=DS 414 Ruminant Nutrition Knowledge Base |publisher=University of Wisconsin-Madison |access-date=29 November 2023}}</ref>