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arbitrary
[ ahr-bi-trer-ee ]
adjective
- subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one's discretion:
an arbitrary decision.
- decided by a judge or arbiter rather than by a law or statute.
- having unlimited power; uncontrolled or unrestricted by law; despotic; tyrannical:
an arbitrary government.
- based on whim or personal preference, without reason or pattern; random:
This is an unusual encyclopedia, arranged by topics in a more or less arbitrary order.
- Mathematics. undetermined; not assigned a specific value:
an arbitrary constant.
noun
- arbitraries, Printing. (in Britain) peculiar ( def 9 ).
arbitrary
/ ˈɑːɪٰəɪ /
adjective
- founded on or subject to personal whims, prejudices, etc; capricious
- having only relative application or relevance; not absolute
- (of a government, ruler, etc) despotic or dictatorial
- maths not representing any specific value
an arbitrary constant
- law (esp of a penalty or punishment) not laid down by statute; within the court's discretion
Derived Forms
- ˈٰ, adverb
- ˈٰԱ, noun
Other Word Forms
- ··ٰ·· [ahr-bi-, trair, -, uh, -lee] adverb
- ··ٰ··Ա noun
- ԴDz···ٰ· adjective
- ܲ···ٰ· adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of arbitrary1
Word History and Origins
Origin of arbitrary1
Example Sentences
These stark disparities are signs of arbitrary action, not rational policymaking.
On Thursday, Rusch called the commission’s demands part of an “arbitrary permitting process,” and said the company had worked with Coastal Commission staff for months in attempt to address their concerns.
Bonta called the action “arbitrary and capricious” and therefore illegal under federal law.
The Trump administration has called the deadline "arbitrary - and impossible".
But to transform the global trading system using an arbitrary formula, that throws up transparent absurdities, even without the penguins, is likely to encourage the other side to resist.
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