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
Related Words
whim, quirk, humor, crotchet, whimsy, fancy, idea, impulse, notion, inconsistency, inconstancyExamples from the Web for vagary
Historical Examples
How near they would pass depended on the vagary of the waves and the tide.
Blow The Man DownHolman Day
The storm still raged, and she thought it was a vagary of the lightning.
Southern StoriesVarious
What vagary had sent a girl who looked like this upon such a task!
Before the DawnJoseph Alexander Altsheler
If we could civilize our schools, we should have no mention of legislation by vagary.
The Ethics of Medical Homicide and MutilationAustin O'Malley
So, Stephen, after a lifetime of vagary and wandering, this is the result.
The Pillar of LightLouis Tracy
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 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