capriciousness

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

/ kəˈprɪʃ əs nɪs, -ˈpri ʃəs- /

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See synonyms for capriciousness on Thesaurus.com

noun

the quality of being led by or subject to sudden, odd notions or changes; arbitrary or erratic character: Some countries have gone to great lengths to build up a war chest of reserves to insure against the capriciousness of foreign investors.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of capriciousness

capricious + -ness

OTHER WORDS FROM capriciousness

non·ca·pri·cious·ness, nounun·ca·pri·cious·ness, noun

Words nearby capriciousness

capric acid, capriccio, capriccioso, caprice, capricious, capriciousness, Capricorn, Capricornia, Capricornian, Capricornus, caprification

How to use capriciousness in a sentence

The NBA, spinning in a vicious, capricious cycle, would be better if it worked again.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s patience is a gift to Milwaukee. Don’t blow it, Bucks.|Jerry Brewer|December 16, 2020|Washington Post
There’s not much evidence that the women who eventually profited from Millar’s capricious bequest were even trying to compete — they just birthed a bunch of kids during that decade.
Toronto’s Depression-Era Baby Race|Fiona Zublin|November 25, 2020|Ozy
Investors may be capricious, but the market’s math is a stubborn thing.
After soaring, then plunging, earnings are heading for a ‘new normal.’ But where is that, exactly?|Shawn Tully|October 13, 2020|Fortune
This year has been one of the most uncertain and capricious years ever for eCommerce.
How to prepare your e-commerce ad strategy for an uncertain Q4|Sponsored Content: Pacvue|August 17, 2020|Search Engine Land

When Will Rodriguez-Kennedy ran to lead the San Diego County Democratic Party, he promised a new and less capricious system of prioritizing the various local races each election cycle.
Politics Report: What Comes Next for Sports Arena|Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts|July 11, 2020|Voice of San Diego
More than anything, they reflect our uneasiness with the modern world, its complexity, and often its capriciousness.
Enough Already: Syria Wasn’t a False-Flag Operation|Jamelle Bouie|September 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Purges must go too far, because extreme capriciousness is what stops the frenzy.
Whose Heads Will Roll on Nov. 5?|John Batchelor|October 28, 2008|DAILY BEAST
Valeria, with her wonted capriciousness, veered round in defence of the institution that she had been just jeering at.
The Daughters of Danaus|Mona Caird
The Bay tree gives us a curious instance of the capriciousness of English plant names.
The plant-lore and garden-craft of Shakespeare|Henry Nicholson Ellacombe
Their requests are granted or refused with absolute capriciousness.
Chaucer and His Times|Grace E. Hadow
But they are not full of it; it comes only now and then, with tantalizing capriciousness.
The Jonathan Papers|Elisabeth Woodbridge Morris
These gave the horse the reputation of capriciousness and unreliability.
Clever Hans|Oskar Pfungst