arbitrary
Use Arbitrary in a sentence
bɪˌtrɛr adjective
1.
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.
capricious; unreasonable; unsupported: an arbitrary demand for payment.
5.
Mathematics. undetermined; not assigned a specific value: an arbitrary constant.
noun
6.
00:10
Arbitrary
is always a great word to know.
So is pi. Does it mean:
| the amount by which one quantity is greater or less than another |
| the letter used as the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, or the ratio itself: 3.141592+ |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To Arbitrary
Collins
World English Dictionary
arbitrary (ˈɑːbɪtrərɪ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 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 |
| [C15: from Latin arbitrārius arranged through arbitration, uncertain] | |
| 'arbitrarily | |
| —adv | |
| 'arbitrariness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
arbitrary
early 15c., "deciding by one's own discretion," from L. arbitrarius "depending on the will, uncertain," from arbiter (see arbiter). The original meaning gradually descended to "capricious" and "despotic" (1640s).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Possibly the most arbitrary and useless graph ever made.
It's time to end this arbitrary power to find examples in other domains either.
With time zones the times are predictable, even if there is the element of arbitrary fiat.
Whether these are arbitrary distractions or not depends on one's point of view.
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