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

Example Sentences

That was a major thing that I wanted to do, because I think that it’s easy to traffic in vagaries, and then everybody can sort of escape the implication.

From The Wall Street Journal

The space-equipment supplier’s rapid rise reflects just how much small aerospace and defense stocks depend on the vagaries of geopolitics and government contracts.

From Barron's

Uncertain about access to capital when they might need it, managers try to protect themselves from the vagaries of financial fashion.

From Barron's

Changing consumer preferences are also playing a role in lower demand, but the industry has always coped with the vagaries of the market.

From The Wall Street Journal

The vagaries of trade figures added around 1.6 percentage points to the overall tally.

From Barron's

Related Words

• quirk
• whim