Definition
Latin. A demonstrative pronoun meaning "this." In legal texts, *hoc* appears almost exclusively as a component of Latin phrases rather than as a standalone term. It is the neuter ablative and nominative/accusative form of the Latin pronoun *hic* ("this one," "the present," "the aforementioned"). Legal usage treats it as a functional particle connecting a noun or title to the concept of specificity or immediate reference.
Principal compound phrases encountered in legal sources:
1. *Hoc intuitu* — "with this expectation" or "in this regard"; used to indicate the purpose or contemplation under which an act was performed or an obligation arose.
2. *Hoc loco* — "in this place"; a cross-referential marker directing the reader to a particular passage, section, or position within a document or text.
3. *Hoc nomine* — "in this name" or "under this name"; used to identify a party, right, or obligation by a specific designation, as opposed to a general or alternative one.
4. *Hoc titulo* — "under this title"; used in legal texts and indexes to direct the reader to a classification heading or subject category.
5. *Hoc voce* — "under this word"; a citation convention directing the reader to a specific term or headword in a dictionary, index, or glossary — equivalent to the modern "see under [word]."
Common Confusion
*Hoc* is unrelated to the modern abbreviation "HOC" (House of Commons), which appears in parliamentary and constitutional research. Researchers encountering "HOC" in all-capital form in historical legal sources should determine from context whether a Latin phrase is being abbreviated or a parliamentary body is being referenced. The two uses share no legal meaning. Separately, *hoc* should not be confused with *ad hoc*, which — while it incorporates the same Latin root — has become a fully independent English legal term of art with its own distinct meaning (for a specific purpose; temporary rather than permanent). The presence of *hoc* within *ad hoc* does not make the two terms interchangeable or related for research purposes.
Why It Matters in Research
Researchers will encounter *hoc* almost exclusively in older legal texts, treatises, and court opinions written partly or wholly in Latin — sources predominant before the mid-nineteenth century in common law jurisdictions and lingering well into the twentieth century in citations and maxims. The term functions as navigational and attributive shorthand within those sources.
The phrase *hoc voce* is particularly important for researchers using historical legal dictionaries and digests: it is a citation convention directing the reader to a specific headword entry, functioning exactly as a modern "see" or "s.v." reference does. Encountering *hoc voce* in a footnote or margin note is an instruction to consult the named term elsewhere in the same or a cited reference work.
*Hoc titulo* serves a similar indexing function in multi-volume treatises and digests, pointing to a subject heading rather than a word. Misreading either phrase as substantive legal language — rather than as a bibliographic direction — is a common error when working in pre-modern sources.
*Hoc intuitu* carries substantive weight in contract and quasi-contract contexts, signaling the specific contemplation or inducement behind a transaction. It appears in discussions of consideration, conditional obligations, and equitable relief, and its meaning bears on questions of intent and cause.
Historical Dictionary Support
Black's Law Dictionary treats *hoc* as a cross-reference launching point, providing entries for the five compound phrases noted above without extended definition of *hoc* itself. This reflects the standard treatment of Latin particles in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century legal dictionaries: the particle alone was not expected to be looked up independently, and the compounds were what practitioners needed. Anderson's Dictionary of Law redirects the reader to entries under the letter H, offering no independent definition — a common economy measure in shorter legal reference works of the period.
Neither source flags the indexing function of *hoc voce* and *hoc titulo* explicitly, treating them as self-evident to a Latinate readership. Modern researchers without Latin training may not recognize these as bibliographic conventions rather than terms of art, which neither historical dictionary addresses.
Jurisdictional Note
Latin phrases including *hoc* compounds appear across all common law jurisdictions, though their frequency in judicial opinions declined sharply following nineteenth-century legislative moves in England and American states to conduct legal proceedings in English. Researchers in civil law traditions will encounter the same phrases but in different doctrinal contexts.