capricious

[kuh-prish-uhs, -pree-shuhs]

adjective

1. subject to, led by, or indicative of a sudden, odd notion or unpredictable change; erratic.

   He's such a capricious boss I never know how he'll react.

   Synonyms: mercurial, flighty, variable
   Antonyms: consistent, constant, steady

2. Obsolete.,  fanciful or witty.

capricious

/ kəˈprɪʃəs /

adjective

1. characterized by or liable to sudden unpredictable changes in attitude or behaviour; impulsive; fickle

Other Word Forms

• capriciously adverb
• capriciousness noun
• noncapricious adjective
• noncapriciously adverb
• uncapricious adjective
• uncapriciously adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of capricious¹

First recorded in 1585–95; from French capricieux, from Italian capriccioso capriccioso

Synonym Study

See fickle.

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

“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

Instead, the narration jumps forward, flashes back and stalls, for brief periods, in the capricious memory of the narrator, John Dowell.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It claimed that it had done nothing wrong, that the regulators were being capricious, and announced no special losses on its $20 billion portfolio of subprime loans.

Read more on Literature

Judge Susan Illston indicated unions are likely to succeed in claims that the layoffs are “arbitrary and capricious” and for “political retribution.”

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• arbitrary 
• careless 
• erratic 
• fickle 
• flighty 
• helter-skelter 
• impulsive 
• quirky 
• temperamental 
• unpredictable 
• unreasonable 
• unstable 
• volatile 
• wayward 
• whimsical