arbitrary

[ahr-bi-trer-ee]

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.

noun

plural

arbitraries 

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

arbitrary

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• arbitrarily adverb
• arbitrariness noun
• nonarbitrary adjective
• unarbitrary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of arbitrary¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin arbitrārius “uncertain” (i.e., depending on an arbiter's decision); arbiter, -ary

Word History and Origins

Origin of arbitrary¹

C15: from Latin arbitrārius arranged through arbitration, uncertain

Example Sentences

The deal, she said, likely violated the Administrative Procedure Act’s prohibition on government agencies from acting in an “arbitrary and capricious” manner, and didn’t comply with requirements in the Internal Revenue Code.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“They need to have a plan, and more than a rule of thumb and arbitrary goals, to live out their retirement.”

Read more on MarketWatch

The authorities were also accused of arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and using lethal force against the protesters.

Read more on BBC

“The CFTC’s characterization of political contests, awards contests, and sporting events as forms of ‘gaming’ is arbitrary and capricious,” the letter said.

Read more on Barron's

Indeed, all of us knew that the rules of segregation were arbitrary and the price for violating them could be vicious.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

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