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

Uncertain about access to capital when they might need it, managers try to protect themselves from the vagaries of financial fashion.

From Barron's

Changing consumer preferences are also playing a role in lower demand, but the industry has always coped with the vagaries of the market.

From The Wall Street Journal

The vagaries of trade figures added around 1.6 percentage points to the overall tally.

From Barron's

That may, of course, be Mr. Joseph’s point: We are as confounded by the tortuous vagaries of their painful histories, and by their stubborn inability to connect, as they themselves are.

From The Wall Street Journal

Not subject to these vagaries is a metric analysts typically use for subscription software companies: annual recurring revenue.

From Barron's

Related Words

• quirk
• whim