arbitrarily
Americanadverb
-
based on the judgment or will of an individual.
The Fourth Amendment protects my right to not be arbitrarily searched.
-
without an apparent reason or pattern; randomly; capriciously.
There is no need to stop living life to its fullest simply because we have reached some arbitrarily set age for what broader society calls “retirement.”
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of arbitrarily
Explanation
Something said or done arbitrarily is done randomly or without much thought — like when you arbitrarily eat whatever happens to be on the buffet table at your cousin's wedding. The adverb arbitrarily describes something that's done haphazardly, based on random chance or on your own whim of the moment. If you go to a movie and know nothing about anything that's playing, you might arbitrarily choose one — based on the titles, the look of the posters, or on nothing at all. When there's not much reason behind your actions, they're done arbitrarily.
Vocabulary lists containing arbitrarily
Lincoln Inaugural Address (March 1861)
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The Freedom of Information Act (2016)
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The Martian
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Arbitrarily starting with those, herewith my favorite shows of 2015.
From New York Times • Dec. 8, 2015
Arbitrarily monetising something that customers are obliged to do anyway.
From The Guardian • Jun. 30, 2015
Arbitrarily defining unreasonable premium rate increases at 10% doesn’t get to the problem.
From Forbes • Dec. 13, 2011
Arbitrarily, we are divided into groups, and I size up my leader, Dr. Gordon F. Derner.
From Time Magazine Archive
Arbitrarily, and without any examination, a certain weight and resistance are attributed to the human metal employed.
From The French Revolution - Volume 1 by Durand, John
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
