post hoc

See also: posthoc

English

Etymology 1

From Latin post hoc.

Adjective

post hoc (comparative more post hoc, superlative most post hoc)

1. After the fact.
   • 1986, Ralph B. Taylor, Urban neighborhoods: research and policy, page 239:

     Our work on using research was post hoc rather than planned as an integral part of the original study.

   • 2001, Penelope Eckert with John R. Rickford, Style and sociolinguistic variation, page 155:

     The interpretations offered in this section are clearly much more post hoc than in my discussion of the informants' patterns.

   • 2008, Rivka Galchen, Atmospheric disturbances, page 40:

     But I knew that my reasoning was post hoc, and another voice came in, mocking me, reminding me that post hoc reasoning is the consolation of the psychotic

Adverb

post hoc (comparative more post hoc, superlative most post hoc)

1. After the fact.
   • 2005 Fall, David B. Rivkin Jr., “THE VIRTUES OF PREEMPTIVE DETERRENCE”, in Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, volume 29, number 1, page 85:

     Ultimately, the wisdom of preemption will be judged post hoc.

Usage notes

• Often written in italics (post hoc) or pronounced as a foreign word.

Translations

after the fact

• Dutch: nadien (nl), na de gebeurtenis.
• Estonian: sündmusejärgselt

Etymology 2

From Latin post hoc ergō propter hoc.

Noun

post hoc (plural post hocs)

1. An instance of the post hoc ergō propter hoc fallacy, in which temporal order is confused with causation.
   • 1919, George Saintsbury, A History of the French novel (to the close of the 19th century), page 422:

     or that it is altogether fair to accumulate the post hocs with their inevitable suggestion of propter

   • 1958, Stuart Chase, Guides to straight thinking: with 13 common fallacies - Page 76:

     More grim were the post hocs of the ancient Aztecs. In their experience rain had followed the season of sacrificial rites, and they believed that ....

   • 1966, Lew Sarett with William Trufant Foster, Basic principles of speech, page 302:

     ... or walking under a ladder brings bad luck; belief in astrology; fear of the number thirteen. Advertisers play upon our weakness for post hocs

   • 2006, Gerd Gigerenzer with Christoph Engel, Heuristics and the law, page 332:

     Accordingly, most of the time it is sufficient to draw lines of post hocs and to make a distinction between causes and symptoms in an almost graphic way.

   • 2008, Rivka Galchen, Atmospheric disturbances, page 40:

     But I knew that my reasoning was post hoc, and another voice came in, mocking me, reminding me that post hoc reasoning is the consolation of the psychotic

Usage notes

• Often written in italics (post hoc) or pronounced as a foreign word.
• Often used attributively.

Derived terms

• posthockery

Latin

Phrase

post hoc

1. after the fact

Related terms

• post hoc ergo propter hoc