vagary
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of vagary
1565–75, in sense “wandering journey”; apparently < Latin vagārī to wander
Explanation
A vagary is an unexpected and unpredictable change, and the word is usually used in the plural. You might know from experience that the vagaries of winter weather make planning a vacation in February a risky proposition. Vagary traces back to the Latin root meaning "wander," and you can think of a vagary as something that wanders. Events or situations that seem to change at random have vagaries. Whether the hottest new boy band will succeed or not is dependent on the vagaries of teenage enthusiasms. The vagaries of the real estate market will determine whether that swamp property you just bought is a gold mine or a disaster.
Vocabulary lists containing vagary
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Christopher Columbus' Diary: The First Voyage
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
A Separate Peace
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
It covers the whole wide world of early-19th-century trade, and it evinces a worldly acceptance of human disparity and vagary.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 16, 2018
This common meaning for outrage actually grows out of a vagary of folk etymology.
From Slate ● Dec. 17, 2014
If Kiprotich's victory was surprising, it also represented the vagary and possibility of running 26.2 miles.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 13, 2012
Mr. DeJohnette and the bassist Dave Holland didn’t miss a beat, but the abruptness of the shift underscored a feeling of haste and vagary in the first half.
From New York Times ● Jun. 26, 2010
As Sullivan saw it, “Burnham came out of his somnambulistic vagary and joined in. He was keen enough to understand that ‘Uncle Dick’”—meaning Hunt—“had done him a needed favor.”
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
The genius of hit songs, beyond technical artistry—and the vagaries of timing—is the ability to mainline emotion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026
The vagaries of the schedule are something that figures to hamper MLS teams all season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026
A once proud, close-knit community has been left to the vagaries of absentee landlords, rising deprivation and residents who often don't want to be here.
From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2026
The space-equipment supplier’s rapid rise reflects just how much small aerospace and defense stocks depend on the vagaries of geopolitics and government contracts.
From Barron's ● Jan. 23, 2026
That consensus can change over the years in a process as unplanned and uncontrollable as the vagaries of fashion.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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.
