arbitrary

[ahr-bi-trer-ee]

See more synonyms for arbitrary on Thesaurus.com

adjective

subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one's discretion: an arbitrary decision.
decided by a judge or arbiter rather than by a law or statute.
having unlimited power; uncontrolled or unrestricted by law; despotic; tyrannical: an arbitrary government.

capricious; unreasonable; unsupported: an arbitrary demand for payment.
Mathematics. undetermined; not assigned a specific value: an arbitrary constant.

noun, plural ar·bi·trar·ies.

arbitraries, Printing. (in Britain) peculiar(def 9).

Origin of arbitrary

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin arbitrārius uncertain (i.e., depending on an arbiter's decision). See arbiter, -ary

Related formsar·bi·trar·i·ly

[ahr-bi-trer-uh-lee, ahr-bi-trair-] /ˈɑr bɪˌtrɛr ə li, ˌɑr bɪˈtrɛər-/, adverbar·bi·trar·i·ness, nounnon·ar·bi·trar·i·ly, adverbnon·ar·bi·trar·i·ness, nounnon·ar·bi·trar·y, adjectiveun·ar·bi·trar·i·ly, adverbun·ar·bi·trar·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for arbitrarily

forthwith, swiftly, promptly, arbitrarily, immediately, readily, speedily, expeditiously, peremptorily

Examples from the Web for arbitrarily

Contemporary Examples of arbitrarily

Many of the others were arbitrarily sentenced under similar charges of “acting” or “conspiring” against national security.
Forget About a Kindler Gentler Iran
Nina Strochlic
August 19, 2014
In reality, the Iraqi borders had been arbitrarily drawn and disregarded 2,000 years of tribal, sectarian, and nomadic occupation.
Gertrude of Arabia, the Woman Who Invented Iraq
Clive Irving
June 17, 2014
If the IRS can target and discriminate against one group of Americans, it can arbitrarily do it to anyone.
The IRS Will Come for You Next, Unless Congress Acts Now
Matt Kibbe
May 17, 2013
Yet the current debate is arbitrarily restricted to the chief public component of the American retirement system, Social Security.
What About Increased Social Security Benefits?
Michael Tomasky
April 9, 2013
Who wants to leave their cash in an institution that unilaterally and arbitrarily reduces its deposit insurance commitment?
Cyprus on Fire? Blame the German Bullies.
Daniel Gross
March 19, 2013

Historical Examples of arbitrarily

A mistake; they lack only the right of arbitrarily dismissing the insubordinate.
Freeland
Theodor Hertzka
He had arisen to his feet as if arbitrarily to end the argument.
The Plunderer
Roy Norton
They arbitrarily decide what is, and what is not, in the public interest.
The Invisible Government
Dan Smoot
But they did not arbitrarily do that which it seemed to them they might have done.
The Rise of Canada, from Barbarism to Wealth and Civilisation
Charles Roger
I have invented it, by arbitrarily identifying the moment of its departure.
Fantazius Mallare
Ben Hecht

British Dictionary definitions for arbitrarily

arbitrary

adjective

founded on or subject to personal whims, prejudices, etc; capricious
having only relative application or relevance; not absolute
(of a government, ruler, etc) despotic or dictatorial
maths not representing any specific valuean arbitrary constant
law (esp of a penalty or punishment) not laid down by statute; within the court's discretion

Derived Formsarbitrarily, adverbarbitrariness, noun

Word Origin for arbitrary

C15: from Latin arbitrārius arranged through arbitration, uncertain

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for arbitrarily

arbitrary

adj.

early 15c., "deciding by one's own discretion," from Old French arbitraire (14c.) or directly from Latin arbitrarius "depending on the will, uncertain," from arbiter (see arbiter). The original meaning gradually descended to "capricious" and "despotic" (1640s). Related: Arbitrarily; arbitrariness.