Although it has come to mean, more narrowly, an attack on a person in order to discredit his arguments, this is the broader meaning of the phrase:
Hypertext Webster Gateway: "ad hominem"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Ad hominem \Ad hom"i*nem\ [L., to the man.] A phrase applied to an appeal or argument addressed to the principles, interests, or passions of a man. [My note: the implication is an irrelevant appeal].
Being insulting is not necessarily ad hominem, although it may be rude, as long as one addresses the arguments properly as well. Not openly insulting someone may be ad hominem, if one let's insinuation carry the argument, rather than addressing a person's points. Trying to move a jury to exceed the evidence with a passionate closing argument designed to inflame their indignation at a crime, and arouse their desire to pin it on someone, would be ad hominem. In a civil suit, trying to enlist the jury's pity in order to move it to raid a deep pocket in excess of liability is ad hominem....
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