vagary

American  

[vuh-gair-ee, vey-guh-ree] / vəˈgɛər i, ˈveɪ gə ri /

noun

plural

vagaries

1. an unpredictable or erratic action, occurrence, course, or instance.

   the vagaries of weather; the vagaries of the economic scene.

2. a whimsical, wild, or unusual idea, desire, or action.

   Synonyms:

   crotchet, quirk, whim, caprice

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vagary British  

/ vəˈɡɛərɪ, ˈveɪɡərɪ /

noun

1. an erratic or outlandish notion or action; whim

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Etymology

Origin of vagary

1565–75, in sense “wandering journey”; apparently < Latin vagārī to wander

Explanation

A vagary is an unexpected and unpredictable change, and the word is usually used in the plural. You might know from experience that the vagaries of winter weather make planning a vacation in February a risky proposition. Vagary traces back to the Latin root meaning "wander," and you can think of a vagary as something that wanders. Events or situations that seem to change at random have vagaries. Whether the hottest new boy band will succeed or not is dependent on the vagaries of teenage enthusiasms. The vagaries of the real estate market will determine whether that swamp property you just bought is a gold mine or a disaster.

Example Sentences

Eulabee’s own attention moves with lifelike vagary, dilating on anxieties and anticipation.

From New York Times • Feb. 9, 2021

It covers the whole wide world of early-19th-century trade, and it evinces a worldly acceptance of human disparity and vagary.

From Washington Post • Nov. 16, 2018

This common meaning for outrage actually grows out of a vagary of folk etymology.

From Slate • Dec. 17, 2014

If Kiprotich's victory was surprising, it also represented the vagary and possibility of running 26.2 miles.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 13, 2012

As Sullivan saw it, “Burnham came out of his somnambulistic vagary and joined in. He was keen enough to understand that ‘Uncle Dick’”—meaning Hunt—“had done him a needed favor.”

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Related Words

• quirk
• whim