vagary

American  

[vuh-gair-ee, vey-guh-ree] / vəˈgɛər i, ˈveɪ gə ri /

noun

plural

vagaries

1. an unpredictable or erratic action, occurrence, course, or instance.

   the vagaries of weather; the vagaries of the economic scene.

2. a whimsical, wild, or unusual idea, desire, or action.

   Synonyms:

   crotchet, quirk, whim, caprice

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vagary British  

/ vəˈɡɛərɪ, ˈveɪɡərɪ /

noun

1. an erratic or outlandish notion or action; whim

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Etymology

Origin of vagary

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

Example Sentences

The vagaries of the schedule are something that figures to hamper MLS teams all season.

From Los Angeles Times

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

The vagaries of that schedule will require flexibility and depth and will likely force Dos Santos to rotate players in and out of the lineup.

From Los Angeles Times

That was a major thing that I wanted to do, because I think that it’s easy to traffic in vagaries, and then everybody can sort of escape the implication.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

Related Words

• quirk
• whim