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View synonyms for

arbitrary

[ ahr-bi-trer-ee ]

adjective

  1. subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one's discretion:

    an arbitrary decision.

  2. decided by a judge or arbiter rather than by a law or statute.
  3. having unlimited power; uncontrolled or unrestricted by law; despotic; tyrannical:

    an arbitrary government.

  4. 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.

  5. Mathematics. undetermined; not assigned a specific value:

    an arbitrary constant.



noun

plural arbitraries.
  1. arbitraries, Printing. (in Britain) peculiar ( def 9 ).

arbitrary

/ ˈɑːɪٰəɪ /

adjective

  1. founded on or subject to personal whims, prejudices, etc; capricious
  2. having only relative application or relevance; not absolute
  3. (of a government, ruler, etc) despotic or dictatorial
  4. maths not representing any specific value

    an arbitrary constant

  5. law (esp of a penalty or punishment) not laid down by statute; within the court's discretion
“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
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Derived Forms

  • ˈٰ, adverb
  • ˈٰԱ, noun
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Other yvlogs From

  • ··ٰ·· [ahr-bi-, trair, -, uh, -lee] adverb
  • ··ٰ··Ա noun
  • ԴDz···ٰ· adjective
  • ܲ···ٰ· adjective
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yvlog History and Origins

Origin of arbitrary1

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin ٰܲ “uncertain” (i.e., depending on an arbiter's decision); arbiter, -ary
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yvlog History and Origins

Origin of arbitrary1

C15: from Latin ٰܲ arranged through arbitration, uncertain
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Example Sentences

Efforts to overturn existing government regulations must pass the ‘arbitrary and capricious’ test.

From

One hundred is a somewhat arbitrary number to cap excellence, impact and irresistible storytelling.

From

From arbitrary layoffs to intimidation tactics to targeted harassment, Elon Musk has brought the tyrannical practices of the corporate America to the federal government.

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They are, ultimately, arbitrary: managing the national finances is complex and multilayered and while governments will often impose limits on themselves in the hope of portraying credibility, precisely what they are can vary significantly.

From

And for some weird, arbitrary reason, I told myself, “And when I’m 40, I can write TV.”

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