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
- nonarbitrarily adverb
- unarbitrarily adverb
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 Martian
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The Freedom of Information Act (2016)
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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.
More importantly, Joseph seemed convinced that the FDA had acted arbitrarily and capriciously in lifting the in-person dispensation requirement.
From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026
Coyle, from Colorado, was arrested in January 2025, according to the Foley Foundation, which advocates for the release of Americans taken hostage or arbitrarily detained abroad.
From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026
The UN says 73 of its staff "remain arbitrarily detained" by the Houthis, with some of these detentions going back to 2021.
From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026
Neither you nor your sibling, acting alone as a beneficiary — or even as a co-trustee — can arbitrarily retitle land that has been properly placed in a trust.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 30, 2026
Nevertheless, arbitrarily delineated stages provide a useful shorthand for discussing the diversity of music and of human societies, provided one bears in mind the above caveats.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
