arbitrary
Americanadjective
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subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one's discretion.
an arbitrary decision.
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decided by a judge or arbiter rather than by a law or statute.
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having unlimited power; uncontrolled or unrestricted by law; despotic; tyrannical.
an arbitrary government.
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based on whim or personal preference, without reason or pattern; random.
This is an unusual encyclopedia, arranged by topics in a more or less arbitrary order.
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Mathematics. undetermined; not assigned a specific value.
an arbitrary constant.
noun
plural
arbitrariesadjective
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founded on or subject to personal whims, prejudices, etc; capricious
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having only relative application or relevance; not absolute
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(of a government, ruler, etc) despotic or dictatorial
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maths not representing any specific value
an arbitrary constant
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law (esp of a penalty or punishment) not laid down by statute; within the court's discretion
Other Word Forms
- arbitrarily adverb
- arbitrariness noun
- nonarbitrary adjective
- unarbitrary adjective
Etymology
Origin of arbitrary
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin arbitrārius “uncertain” (i.e., depending on an arbiter's decision); arbiter, -ary
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.
She has been extremely active in denouncing corruption, illegalities, arbitrary actions by the authorities, and human rights violations.
From Barron's
The businesses say only when “the material satisfies rigid and arbitrary regulatory criteria set by the state” are they able to inform consumers their packaging is recyclable.
From Los Angeles Times
In it he argued that the large economic models then dominant rested on assumptions so arbitrary they were, in his word, “incredible.”
“Borrowers will see unpredictable payment spikes whenever their income crosses certain arbitrary thresholds. They could be penalized for small cost-of-living raises.”
From Salon
Türk said many Venezuelans remained in "arbitrary detention" despite the passing of the amnesty law last month.
From BBC
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.
