arbitrary
adjective
ar·bi·trary ˈär-bə-ˌtrer-ē 
-ˌtre-rē
1
a
: existing or coming about seemingly at random or by chance or as a capricious and unreasonable act of will
an arbitrary choice
When a task is not seen in a meaningful context it is experienced as being arbitrary.
Nehemiah Jordan
Nehemiah Jordan b
: based on or determined by individual preference or convenience rather than by necessity or the intrinsic nature of something
an arbitrary standard
take any arbitrary positive number
2
a
: not restrained or limited in the exercise of power : ruling by absolute authority
an arbitrary government
b
: marked by or resulting from the unrestrained and often tyrannical exercise of power
protection from arbitrary arrest and detention
3
law : depending on individual discretion (as of a judge) and not fixed by law
The manner of punishment is arbitrary.
arbitrarily
ˌär-bə-ˈtrer-ə-lē
adverb -ˈtre-rə-
arbitrariness
ˈär-bə-ˌtrer-ē-nəs
noun -ˌtre-rē-
Did you know?
Arbitrary comes from Latin arbiter, which means "judge" and is the source of the English arbiter. In English, arbitrary first meant "depending upon choice or discretion" and was specifically used to indicate the sort of decision (as for punishment) left up to the expert determination of a judge rather than defined by law. Today, it can also be used for anything determined by or as if by a personal choice or whim.
Synonyms
- dictatorial
- high-handed
- imperious
- peremptory
- willful
- wilful
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
U.S. News was revealed to have considered assigning in its next rankings an arbitrary SAT score to Sarah Lawrence College because the school no longer collects applicants' scores. Julie Rawe, Time, 2 Apr. 2007 Darwin's emphasis on how populations gradually change gave the notion of species a more arbitrary quality: Species had whatever boundaries taxonomists chose. The idea of a species as a population of individuals that breed mostly with each other comes from 20th-century theorists. S. Milius, Science News, 25 Mar. 2006 The Marriage Act certainly employed arbitrary and draconian means. It forced all couples to marry between 8 am and 12 noon, according to the rites of the established Church of England, in one of their respective local parish churches. David Johnson, History Today, November 2003 Two days after President Lincoln issued the first version of his Emancipation Proclamation, he suspended the right of habeas corpus for anyone accused of resisting the draft or discouraging enlistment. Hundreds of civilians were arrested, some for good reasons, some for entirely arbitrary and personal ones. Michael Lesy, Double Take, Spring 2001 An arbitrary number has been assigned to each district. I don't know why I chose that one; it was a completely arbitrary decision. Although arbitrary arrests are illegal, they continue to occur in many parts of the country. See More
Julie Rawe, Time, 2 Apr. 2007 Darwin's emphasis on how populations gradually change gave the notion of species a more arbitrary quality: Species had whatever boundaries taxonomists chose. The idea of a species as a population of individuals that breed mostly with each other comes from 20th-century theorists. S. Milius, Science News, 25 Mar. 2006 The Marriage Act certainly employed arbitrary and draconian means. It forced all couples to marry between 8 am and 12 noon, according to the rites of the established Church of England, in one of their respective local parish churches. David Johnson, History Today, November 2003 Two days after President Lincoln issued the first version of his Emancipation Proclamation, he suspended the right of habeas corpus for anyone accused of resisting the draft or discouraging enlistment. Hundreds of civilians were arrested, some for good reasons, some for entirely arbitrary and personal ones. Michael Lesy, Double Take, Spring 2001 An arbitrary number has been assigned to each district. I don't know why I chose that one; it was a completely arbitrary decision. Although arbitrary arrests are illegal, they continue to occur in many parts of the country. See More Recent Examples on the Web Some planetary experts dispute the 2006 vote, saying the definitions are arbitrary. Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 31 Aug. 2022 Critics say a blanket requirement for GPS monitoring is arbitrary and an invasion of privacy. Anabel Sosa, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2022 Shanghai’s stringent lockdown rules prompted the State Department to issue an advisory asking U.S. citizens to reconsider travel to China, warning of arbitrary enforcement of local laws. Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 12 Apr. 2022 Even by the standards of contemporary Russia’s arbitrary law enforcement, the statement was remarkable, offering no legal pretext to justify the order not to publish the interview. New York Times, 27 Mar. 2022 As part of its travel advisory for China, the U.S. State Department warns that exit bans on foreign nationals exemplify arbitrary enforcement of laws in that country. Andrew Restuccia, WSJ, 28 Sep. 2021 Broad surveillance measures used over the years against Tibetan Buddhists and mainly Muslim Uyghurs, both minority groups in China, are helping enforce lockdown rules among people long at risk of arbitrary detention. Bloomberg.com, 15 Aug. 2022 According to Amnesty International, many of the deportees face arbitrary detention, kidnapping, torture and even death in the the countries where they’re sent. Tazreena Sajjad, The Conversation, 28 July 2022 In February 2021, Canada led a constructive multilateral effort of 58 countries decrying the use of arbitrary detention in state-to-state relations. Jared Genser, WSJ, 25 July 2022 See More
Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 31 Aug. 2022 Critics say a blanket requirement for GPS monitoring is arbitrary and an invasion of privacy. Anabel Sosa, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2022 Shanghai’s stringent lockdown rules prompted the State Department to issue an advisory asking U.S. citizens to reconsider travel to China, warning of arbitrary enforcement of local laws. Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 12 Apr. 2022 Even by the standards of contemporary Russia’s arbitrary law enforcement, the statement was remarkable, offering no legal pretext to justify the order not to publish the interview. New York Times, 27 Mar. 2022 As part of its travel advisory for China, the U.S. State Department warns that exit bans on foreign nationals exemplify arbitrary enforcement of laws in that country. Andrew Restuccia, WSJ, 28 Sep. 2021 Broad surveillance measures used over the years against Tibetan Buddhists and mainly Muslim Uyghurs, both minority groups in China, are helping enforce lockdown rules among people long at risk of arbitrary detention. Bloomberg.com, 15 Aug. 2022 According to Amnesty International, many of the deportees face arbitrary detention, kidnapping, torture and even death in the the countries where they’re sent. Tazreena Sajjad, The Conversation, 28 July 2022 In February 2021, Canada led a constructive multilateral effort of 58 countries decrying the use of arbitrary detention in state-to-state relations. Jared Genser, WSJ, 25 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, "depending on individual discretion," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French arbitraire, arbitrarie "relating to arbitration," borrowed from Latin arbitrārius "relating to or depending on the discretion of an arbiter," from arbitr-, arbiter arbiter + -ārius -ary entry 2
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Kids Definition
arbitrary
adjective
ar·bi·trary ˈär-bə-ˌtrer-ē
1
: made, chosen, or acting without thought of what is fair or right
arbitrary decisions
an arbitrary ruler
2
: seeming to have been made or chosen by chance
We were given an arbitrary list of books to choose from.
Legal Definition
arbitrary
adjective
ar·bi·trary ˈär-bə-ˌtrer-ē
1
: depending on individual discretion (as of a judge) and not fixed by standards, rules, or law
the manner of punishment is arbitrary
2
a
: not restrained or limited in the exercise of power
an arbitrary government
b
: marked by or resulting from the unrestrained exercise of power
protection from arbitrary arrest and detention
3
a
: based on preference, bias, prejudice, or convenience rather than on reason or fact
an arbitrary standard
different provisions for the married and the unmarried were irrational and arbitrary K. A. Cohen
K. A. Cohen b
: existing or coming about seemingly at random or by chance or as an unreasonable act of individual will without regard for facts or applicable law —often used in the phrase arbitrary and capricious
an agency finding or conclusion of lack of evidence would be arbitrary and capricious if the record afforded no substantial basis for such a finding Irvin v. Hobby, 131 F. Supp. 851 (1955)
Irvin v. Hobby, 131 F. Supp. 851 (1955)Note: Under section 706 of the Administrative Procedure Act, a court shall set aside an agency's action, findings, or conclusions determined upon review to be arbitrary.
arbitrary
adjective
1
as in arrogant
having or showing a tendency to force one's will on others without any regard to fairness or necessity an arbitrary piano teacher who makes all her students do the same exercises over and over again Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- arrogant
- unfair
- unreasonable
- inconsistent
- authoritarian
- dictatorial
- dominant
- imperious
- unjust
- wilful
- peremptory
- willful
- high-handed
- capricious
- domineering
- commanding
- unequal
- tyrannical
- demanding
- totalitarian
- erratic
- despotic
- autocratic
- overbearing
- whimsical
- presumptuous
- inequitable
- biased
- unrealistic
- partisan
- imperative
- mercurial
- tyrannic
- haughty
- changeable
- tyrannous
- prejudiced
- unprincipled
- autocratical
- unscrupulous
- unconscionable
- masterful
- unethical
- lordly
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- equal
- reasonable
- equitable
- objective
- fair
- rational
- impartial
- dispassionate
- balanced
- just
- disinterested
- nonpartisan
- moral
- evenhanded
- unbiased
- understanding
- unprejudiced
- honorable
- ethical
- unimpeachable
- irreproachable
- principled
- law-abiding
2
as in random
lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern the order of the names of the 10 semifinalists is entirely arbitrary Synonyms & Similar Words
- random
- scattered
- erratic
- haphazard
- accidental
- stray
- sporadic
- aimless
- contingent
- odd
- slapdash
- lucky
- casual
- irregular
- desultory
- hit-or-miss
- incidental
- indiscriminate
- spot
- inadvertent
- helter-skelter
- shotgun
- chance
- unintentional
- catch-as-catch-can
- fortuitous
- unsystematic
- unintended
- unplanned
- scattershot
- chancy
- unpremeditated
- purposeless
- unconsidered
- objectless
- directionless
- flukey
- undirected
- fluky
- unselective
- undiscriminating
- disorganized
- disorderly
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- systematic
- regular
- regular
- orderly
- continuous
- constant
- fixed
- methodical
- stable
- organized
- nonrandom
- steady
- established
- systematized
- set
- even
- methodic
- arranged
- deliberate
- conscious
- wilful
- purposeful
- aware
- planned
- willful
- ordered
- thoughtful
- managed
- orchestrated
3
as in oppressive
exercising power or authority without interference by others a nation with no tradition of democracy, only a long history of arbitrary rulers Synonyms & Similar Words
- oppressive
- authoritarian
- tyrannical
- despotic
- autocratic
- dictatorial
- absolute
- monocratic
- tyrannic
- domineering
- tyrannous
- autocratical
- czarist
- totalitarian
- imperious
- antidemocratic
- tzarist
- tsarist
- sovereign
- magisterial
- omnipotent
- autonomous
- unconditional
- jackbooted
- unlimited
- high-handed
- antirepublican
- almighty
- all-powerful
- masterful
- self-ruling
- self-governing
- sovran
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- limited
- restricted
- constitutional
- lawful
- circumscribed
- democratic
- restrained
- republican