vagary
[vuh-gair-ee, vey-guh-ree]
- an unpredictable or erratic action, occurrence, course, or instance: the vagaries of weather; the vagaries of the economic scene.
- a whimsical, wild, or unusual idea, desire, or action.
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Origin of vagary
1565–75, in sense “wandering journey”; apparently < Latin vagārī to wander
Synonyms
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for vagaries
Contemporary Examples
What the record really shows is just how much the fate of the Presidency is governed by the vagaries of chance.
After all, radically purist ideologies need to be sheltered from the vagaries of the world, and they can be expensive to maintain.
Historical Examples
The power to hold in check the vagaries of imagination may be gone.
The Great HungerJohan Bojer
The vagaries of the mountain atmosphere rarely concerned him.
The Golden WomanRidgwell Cullum
It has no thought of time and it accepts all the vagaries of your laziness.
Journeys to BagdadCharles S. Brooks
Silvey smiled, as does an adult listening to the vagaries of a child.
A Son of the CityHerman Gastrell Seely
The vagaries of the human mind are beyond our understanding.
Watch Yourself Go ByAl. G. Field
vagary
- an erratic or outlandish notion or action; whim
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Word Origin
C16: probably from Latin vagārī to roam; compare Latin vagus vague
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for vagaries
vagary
n.
1570s, "a wandering, a roaming journey," probably from Latin vagari "to wander, roam, be unsettled, spread abroad," from vagus "roving, wandering" (see vague). Current meaning of "eccentric notion or conduct" (1620s) is from notion of mental wandering. Related: Vagaries.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper