vagary

[ vuh-gair-ee, vey-guh-ree ]
See synonyms for vagary on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural va·gar·ies.
  1. an unpredictable or erratic action, occurrence, course, or instance: the vagaries of weather; the vagaries of the economic scene.

  2. a whimsical, wild, or unusual idea, desire, or action.

Origin of vagary

1
1565–75, in sense “wandering journey”; apparently <Latin vagārī to wander

Other words for vagary

Words Nearby vagary

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use vagary in a sentence

  • Mayo stared after her, wrinkling his forehead for a moment, as if he had discovered some new vagary in femininity to puzzle him.

    Blow The Man Down | Holman Day
  • Just where it would next sweep the deck between the masts depended on the vagary of wave and wind.

    Blow The Man Down | Holman Day
  • Yet it is in this very vagary that is discovered the true nature of the intellect.

    The Mystery of Space | Robert T. Browne
  • Who can tell what vagary or what compromise may not be calling itself Christianity?

    Winds Of Doctrine | George Santayana
  • With these words she fell into a vagary; her daughter recalled her from it with a slight movement.

British Dictionary definitions for vagary

vagary

/ (ˈveɪɡərɪ, vəˈɡɛərɪ) /


nounplural -garies
  1. an erratic or outlandish notion or action; whim

Origin of vagary

1
C16: probably from Latin vagārī to roam; compare Latin vagus vague

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