arbitraryar‧bi‧tra‧ry /ˈɑːbətrəri, -tri $ ˈɑːrbətreri/ ●○○ AWL adjective 
an arbitrary decision the arbitrary arrests of political opponents—arbitrariness noun [uncountable]—arbitrarily /ˈɑːbətrərəli $ ˌɑːrbəˈtrerəli/ adverb: an arbitrarily chosen number
WORD ORIGINarbitrary
Origin:
1400-1500 Latin arbitrarius ‘depending on the decision of a judge, uncertain’, from arbiter; ➔ ARBITEREXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- The fans complained about the apparently arbitrary distribution of tickets for the next game.
- The government has carried out numerous executions and arbitrary arrests.
- The way the programme of events is organized seems completely arbitrary to me.
- But these images were not arbitrary, let alone trivial.
- Casinos sound such arbitrary and decadent places; nobody would want their economy's fate to be determined in one.
- In the absence of any clear division between administrative and judicial functions, even the humblest official enjoyed arbitrary power.
- Throughout the day, repeal supporters argued that the ban on some types of weapons is arbitrary and unconstitutional.
- We had to tell the truth, and we were then judged by mysterious, arbitrary standards.
- You see that the ornaments we are discussing are nothing if not arbitrary.
Longman Language Activatorwhen things are done, chosen etc by chance
if you do or choose things at random , you do or choose them without using any plan or system: · The forms were distributed at random to people passing by.· While he waited, he picked up a magazine, turned to a page at random, and started reading.· Twenty students were chosen at random to take part in the experiment.
something that is random is done or chosen without using any plan or system: · The union believes that the random drug testing of employees is an invasion of their privacy.· A few random shots were fired, but the battle was over.
something that is arbitrary is decided or arranged without any reason, plan, or system, especially in a way that seems unfair: · The way the programme of events is organized seems completely arbitrary to me.· The fans complained about the apparently arbitrary distribution of tickets for the next game.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY an arbitrary decision the arbitrary arrests of political opponents an arbitrarily chosen numberCOLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
an arbitrary decision the arbitrary arrests of political opponents an arbitrarily chosen number· To do this he did not need to make any apparently arbitrary appeal to particular revelation or received authority.· Why not something else equally apparently arbitrary, such as blowing bubbles, or dropping pebbles?· The links between sound, language and meaning can be complex and sometimes apparently arbitrary.
· Many of the new rules seem as arbitrary as the old familiar ones.· Legislative response to that conviction can not be regarded as arbitrary or capricious and that is all we have to decide.
· He lived so much within his own head that the times at which he ate and slept were entirely arbitrary.· Objects, however, by virtue of their concrete nature, can never possess that entirely arbitrary and abstract capability.
· But this reduces the distinction between the national and the comprador bourgeoisie to a quite arbitrary judgement on what constitutes national development.· Catholicism, however gripped the masses by virtue of its incense, its ritual, all quite arbitrary, compulsion without purpose.· Sometimes an action or object has a meaning in this dimension that is quite arbitrary.· The decision as to what to accept as a distinct class is quite arbitrary.· Not having any for fifteen years means I find them quite arbitrary now, impossible to control.
· The amount by which one changes weights is somewhat arbitrary.· Any judicial act of line-drawing may seem somewhat arbitrary, but Roe was a reasoned statement, elaborated with great care.· This is of course a somewhat arbitrary limitation from a fire protection point of view.· Essentiality is a somewhat arbitrary and relative term when it comes to the food value of treats.· The diversity of services outlined in Figure 8.4 makes any classification somewhat arbitrary.· The inputs employed for simulation are somewhat arbitrary, but they reflect underlying realities.· Some of the ill feeling dates back to the somewhat arbitrary way Edison was first given the charter.· It is however clear that whatever percentage holding is regarded as indicating minority control, the figure selected will be somewhat arbitrary.
NOUN· Non-violent protests outside the jails and the Ministry of the Interior are met with arbitrary arrest.
· He infuriated his allies with his arbitrary decisions and devious ways.· They want continuity of policy, not capricious or arbitrary decisions.· No element in glass to rest on my own arbitrary decision alone, he wrote.· Case law has shown that court rulings on these kind of scenarios have resulted in arbitrary decisions.· This effectively enables the Home Office to make arbitrary decisions, deporting people as they see fit, without any independent inquiry.
· In the absence of any clear division between administrative and judicial functions, even the humblest official enjoyed arbitrary power.· Constitutionalism, therefore, is to be set in contradistinction to arbitrary power.· The Whigs were concerned that the arbitrary power of a prince was being replaced by the arbitrary power of the legislature.· Others, including Stead, attacked the bill for increasing the arbitrary power of the police on the streets.· As a means of assuring us that the management of large public companies do not wield arbitrary power it is unsatisfactory.· Equally, there is an insistence on the need to protect people from the arbitrary power of the state.· Parliament could if it so wishes confer arbitrary powers upon government.
· The arbitrary rule restricting profit to a 10% margin applying to service companies would not operate.· Safety is a matter of active attention and alert work practices, not blind obedience to arbitrary rules.· It is so much easier to conform to arbitrary rules imposed by some one else on the basis of age.· The arbitrary rules grated on Wirk, but it was the no-smoking requirement that eventually precipitated her departure from the fellowship.· Torturers kept making up new arbitrary rules, for which they would punish disobedience.· I remember, during arguments with my father, there seemed to be arbitrary rules, which I never understood.· Before, it had justified their arbitrary rule.
· Instead, the probabilities would have to be assigned in some arbitrary way.· But rain has fallen here, too, in that arbitrary way which makes life so unpredictable.· Some of the ill feeling dates back to the somewhat arbitrary way Edison was first given the charter.· Prisoner after prisoner has complained about the arbitrary way in which the prison regulations are enforced.· Swallowtails, woodpeckers and many other creatures all show how Nature can change in an arbitrary way.
WORD FAMILYnounarbitrarinessadjectivearbitraryadverbarbitrarily
decided or arranged without any reason or plan, often unfairly: an arbitrary decision the arbitrary arrests of political opponents—arbitrariness noun [uncountable]—arbitrarily /ˈɑːbətrərəli $ ˌɑːrbəˈtrerəli/ adverb: an arbitrarily chosen number