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. 2018

Related Words for arbitrary

irrational, irresponsible, random, unreasonable, erratic, subjective, capricious, inconsistent, willful, discretionary, frivolous, autocratic, approximate, fanciful, injudicious, offhand, optional, supercilious, superficial, unaccountable

Examples from the Web for arbitrary

Contemporary Examples of arbitrary

The truth is that Judd is really just picking an arbitrary number since there is no script.
Inside Sony’s ‘Pineapple Express 2 Drama’: Leaked Emails Reveal Fight Over Stoner Comedy Sequel
William Boot
December 21, 2014
Pinker is not a self-appointed enforcer of arbitrary rules, and he has little patience for purists, prigs, and pedants.
Go Ahead, End With a Preposition: Grammar Rules We All Can Live With
Nick Romeo
November 3, 2014
Time and time again, we see women being asked to ace some arbitrary test in order to be deemed model victims.
Why We're So Hard on Janay Rice and Celebrity Survivors of Abuse
Amy Zimmerman
September 15, 2014
Gandley feels that any distinction between pro-anorexia sites and some healthy living sites are arbitrary.
Should Pro-Anorexia Sites Be Criminalized?
Carrie Arnold
August 30, 2014
“The basic aim of a democratic regime is to curb the use of arbitrary powers against its citizens,” West writes.
How We Got to Ferguson—a Reading List
David Masciotra
August 23, 2014

Historical Examples of arbitrary

Why, she was called in the Institution, Harriet Beadle—an arbitrary name, of course.
Little Dorrit
Charles Dickens
I wish Society was not so arbitrary, I wish it was not so exacting—Bird, be quiet!'
Little Dorrit
Charles Dickens
He was arbitrary, but he was not so arbitrary as his instructions.
The Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 10, No. 58, August, 1862
Various
It is not an average of freight rates, but is an arbitrary figure.
About sugar buying for Jobbers
B. W. Dyer
"Justice is altogether an arbitrary, a relative phrase," Wrayson declared.
The Avenger
E. Phillips Oppenheim

British Dictionary definitions for arbitrary

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 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.