capricious
Americanadjective
Synonym Usage
See fickle.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of capricious
First recorded in 1585–95; from French capricieux, from Italian capriccioso capriccioso
Explanation
Capricious is an adjective to describe a person or thing that's impulsive and unpredictable, like a bride who suddenly leaves her groom standing at the wedding altar. You can criticize a fickle-minded person as capricious, but it could just as well describe quickly changing weather, as in "capricious spring storms." It's the adjective form of the noun caprice, which means a sudden change of mood. Caprice might come from capra, the Italian word for "goat" (because goats are frisky), or from capo, "head" + riccio, "hedgehog." Why bring hedgehogs into it? If you have a "hedgehog head," you are so scared that your hair is standing straight on end. A scared person makes sudden starts this way and that, just as a capricious person does.
Vocabulary lists containing capricious
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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.
That’s a quintessential example of an agency action that’s unlawfully arbitrary and capricious.
From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026
The venture's legal brief described the suspension order as "arbitrary and capricious."
From Barron's • Jan. 15, 2026
Such arrests appear arbitrary and capricious, and are unlikely to survive scrutiny by the courts, Judge Pitts ruled Wednesday.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 25, 2025
These actions, according to the lawsuit, were “ arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, not in accordance with law, and therefore invalid under the Administrative Procedure Act.”
From Salon • Dec. 11, 2025
What I knew of physics I had learned in the junkyard, where the physical world often seemed unstable, capricious.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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.
