arbitrary

American  

[ahr-bi-trer-ee] / ˈɑr bɪˌtrɛr i /

adjective

1. subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one's discretion.

   an arbitrary decision.

2. decided by a judge or arbiter rather than by a law or statute.

3. having unlimited power; uncontrolled or unrestricted by law; despotic; tyrannical.

   an arbitrary government.

4. 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.

5. Mathematics. undetermined; not assigned a specific value.

   an arbitrary constant.

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noun

plural

arbitraries

1. Printing. arbitraries, (in Britain) peculiar.

arbitrary British  

/ ˈɑːbɪtrərɪ /

adjective

1. founded on or subject to personal whims, prejudices, etc; capricious

2. having only relative application or relevance; not absolute

3. (of a government, ruler, etc) despotic or dictatorial

4. maths not representing any specific value

   an arbitrary constant

5. law (esp of a penalty or punishment) not laid down by statute; within the court's discretion

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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

There’s also a First Amendment claim, and an Administrative Procedure Act claim, which is that the government is acting illegally in an arbitrary and capricious way.

From Salon

Health insurers are no strangers to arbitrary financial surprises, but they’re usually not on the receiving end of them.

From The Wall Street Journal

The same year, the UN special rapporteur for human rights defenders said the cases against her "appear to reflect an arbitrary use of the legal system to harass and intimidate".

From Barron's

Yemeni authorities say transferring prisoners into the formal justice system is complex, while rights groups warn arbitrary detention may simply continue under different control.

From BBC

In 2024, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that his detention was unlawful and arbitrary.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• capricious
• discretionary
• erratic
• frivolous
• inconsistent
• irrational
• irresponsible
• random
• subjective
• unreasonable
• willful