Meaning of arbitrary in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Qualitative Adjective
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    /ˈɑrbəˌtrɛri/

    US accent Play button

    UK accent Play button

  1. Qualitative Adjective

    arbitrary

    Etymology

    late Middle English (in the sense ‘dependent on one's will or pleasure, discretionary’): from Latin arbitrarius, from arbiter‘judge, supreme ruler’, perhaps influenced by French arbitraire

    Definitions

    1. based on or subject to individual discretion or preference or sometimes impulse or caprice

    Examples

    • « an arbitrary decision »
    • « the arbitrary rule of a dictator »
    • « an arbitrary penalty »
    • « of arbitrary size and shape »
    • « an arbitrary choice »
    • « arbitrary division of t »

    Synonyms

    Antonyms

Famous quotes

  • « Gold and silver, like other commodities, have an intrinsic value, which is not arbitrary, but is dependent on their scarcity, the quantity of labour bestowed in procuring them, and the value of the capital employed in the mines which produce them. »
    David Ricardo
  • « Police in China can do whatever they want after 81 days in arbitrary detention you clearly realise that they don't have to obey their own laws. In a society like this there is no negotiation, no discussion, except to tell you that power can crush you any time they want - not only you, your whole family and all people like you. »
    Ai Weiwei
  • « Arbitrary benchmarks cheat kids out of a fulfilling education. »
    James Dyson
  • « Designs of purely arbitrary nature cannot be expected to last long. »
    Kenzo Tange
  • « Our work on light bulbs wasn't an arbitrary mandate. We didn't just pick a standard out of the air, or look for a catchy sounding standard like 25 by 2025 not based in science or feasibility. Instead, we worked with both industry and environmental groups to come up with a standard that made sense and was doable. »
    Fred Upton

Browse dictionary