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Synonyms

arbitrarily

American  
[ahr-bi-trair-uh-lee] / ˌɑr bɪˈtrɛər ə li /

adverb

  1. based on the judgment or will of an individual.

    The Fourth Amendment protects my right to not be arbitrarily searched.

  2. 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

arbitrary ( def. ) + -ly

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.

East Coast suggests White House recognition that such agreements can’t be ended arbitrarily, the analysts said.

From The Wall Street Journal

The company added the charges are not "increased arbitrarily".

From BBC

In most places, students are arbitrarily assigned to a school on the basis of geography.

From The Wall Street Journal

He added that there was a child among those arbitrarily detained.

From BBC

The UN says 73 of its staff "remain arbitrarily detained" by the Houthis, with some of these detentions going back to 2021.

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.