vagary

[ vuh-gair-ee, vey-guh-ree ]

/ vəˈgɛər i, ˈveɪ gə ri /

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See synonyms for: vagary / vagaries on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural va·gar·ies.

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR vagary

2 caprice, whim, quirk, crotchet.

See synonyms for vagary on Thesaurus.com

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Question 1 of 6

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Origin of vagary

1565–75, in sense “wandering journey”; apparently <Latin vagārī to wander

Words nearby vagary

vagal, vagal attack, vagal block, vagal trunk, vagarious, vagary, vagile, vagility, vagin-, vagina, vaginal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use vagary in a sentence

This figure fluctuates quite a bit from day to day, thanks to the vagaries of how and when cases are reported based on the day of the week.
U.S. Death Toll From COVID-19 Passes the 500,000 Mark|Chris Wilson|February 22, 2021|Time
Across the planet, humans have built civilization to withstand the vagaries of a 20th century climate.
The Texas Power Grid Failure Is a Climate Change Cautionary Tale|Justin Worland|February 18, 2021|Time
Less frequent shopping, ingredient shortages and the vagaries of grocery delivery mean that at some point you probably won’t have the ingredient called for in a particular recipe.
As stay-at-home restrictions rise, here are ways to cope|Washington Post Staff, Elizabeth Chang, Mari-Jane Williams, Becky Krystal, Kendra Nichols, Caitlin Moore, Stephanie Merry, Missy Rosenberg, Katherine Lee|December 2, 2020|Washington Post
Eleven inches is the widest tire that’s going to fit, and due to the vagaries of available tire sizes, that also limited our tire height.
Inside My Custom Toyota Land Cruiser Build|Wes Siler|October 15, 2020|Outside Online

After all, one argument for giving judges a lifetime appointment is to insulate them from the vagaries of politics.
Why The Supreme Court’s Reputation Is At Stake|Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux (Amelia.Thomson-DeVeaux@abc.com)|October 12, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Mayo stared after her, wrinkling his forehead for a moment, as if he had discovered some new vagary in femininity to puzzle him.
Blow The Man Down|Holman Day
Just where it would next sweep the deck between the masts depended on the vagary of wave and wind.
Blow The Man Down|Holman Day
Yet it is in this very vagary that is discovered the true nature of the intellect.
The Mystery of Space|Robert T. Browne
Who can tell what vagary or what compromise may not be calling itself Christianity?
Winds Of Doctrine|George Santayana
With these words she fell into a vagary; her daughter recalled her from it with a slight movement.
The Landlord at Lion's Head, Complete|William Dean Howells

British Dictionary definitions for vagary

vagary

/ (ˈveɪɡərɪ, vəˈɡɛərɪ) /

noun plural -garies

an erratic or outlandish notion or action; whim

Word Origin for vagary

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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

vagary

OTHER WORDS FOR vagary

Origin of vagary

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How to use vagary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for vagary

Word Origin for vagary