Think of someone who annoyed you by saying the same thing again and again. You’ll know you understand what 'ad infinitum' means when you can explain it without saying 'endlessly' or 'on and on and on.' try it out:

Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. Sometimes you just have to make a choice instead of analyzing it ad infinitum. examples:Īt HomeGoods, shoppers only reach the cashier after moseying past displays of bowls, spatulas, candy, pretzels, photo frames, dog toys, bouncy balls- ad infinitum. 'Ad infinitum' can also cap off a list: 'an analysis, an analysis of the analysis, and so on ad infinitum ' 'excuses, more excuses, more excuses.ad infinitum.'Īlthough foreign phrases generally take italics, our Latin 'ad infinitum' is so common in English that nobody italicizes it anymore. You might talk about something 'done and redone ad infinitum:' 'they've used and reused this same idea ad infinitum,' 'I adjust and readjust the approach ad infinitum.' Talk about something that happens ad infinitum: something that repeats or continues ad infinitum, something that lasts, goes on, or endures ad infinitum, something that varies or grows ad infinitum, and, less kindly, someone who talks ad infinitum. You most often use it to talk about things that irritate you with their monotony or their continuation. This term usually has a mildly negative tone. You usually put them close to the action they describe: That is, they tell when, where, how, and to what extent This phrase is Latin for 'to infinity.' Something that happens ad infinitum happens over over and over again in the exact same way, or happens forever. Literally 'unknown land,' this one means any place or idea that's unknown and unexplored. Literally 'firm land,' this means anything solid and substantial that you can use as a basis for something else.ģ. Literally 'great work,' this term describes the best thing that a person has ever created.Ģ. Slide today's 'ad infinitum' into a mental file with other two-word Latin phrases you know:ġ.

Ad infinitum meaning