DictionaryAI

arbitrary

AHR-bi-trair-ee/ˈɑɹ.bɪˌtɹɛ(ə).ɹi/UKAHR-bi-truh-ree/ˈɑː.bɪ.tɹə.ɹi/AHR-buh-truh-ree

6 meanings of arbitrary

Practice

  1. 1
    no clear ruleadjective
    Decided by personal choice rather than a clear rule, sometimes even by chance.

    Like picking a card without looking: there's no real reason for that one.

    The teacher's grading felt arbitrary, with no clear reason behind it.

    They picked the winner in an arbitrary way, almost like flipping a coin.

    Similarrandom, subjective, capricious, whimsical

    Oppositeobjective, reasoned, principled, rational

    Note
  2. 2
    harsh poweradjective
    Based on someone's mood instead of good reasons, often in a harsh, bossy way.

    Like a referee who changes the rules whenever he feels like it.

    The king's arbitrary orders left his people living in fear.

    Citizens feared the king's arbitrary punishments.

    UsageSay arbitrary arrest or arbitrary rules.

    Similarcapricious, high-handed, unreasonable, despotic, tyrannical

    Oppositereasonable, fair, rational, lawful

    Note
  3. 3
    any one (maths)adjective
    Any one you like, chosen from all the possible options.

    Pick an arbitrary number and double it.

    Our teacher showed that the trick works for an arbitrary number, not only the ones we tried.

    Oppositespecific, particular

    Note
  4. 4
    signs (language)adjective
    Having no natural link to the thing it stands for.

    The link between a word and its meaning is usually arbitrary.

    Some hand signs look like the thing they mean, but many others are arbitrary.

    Similarconventional, unmotivated

    Oppositeiconic, motivated

    Note

Less common meanings

  1. 5
    nounrare
    A value or fee that is set freely, not fixed by any rule.
    And in this long chain of consistence, a chain stretching from the long dead to the far unborn, the notion of the arbitrary could only survive as the notion of a pre-established arbitrary.
    1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt
  2. 6
    adjectiveobsolete
    Decided by a neutral outside person chosen to settle a dispute.

Practice

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Origin

From Latin arbitrarius, meaning "uncertain," which came from arbiter, a "judge" or "witness."

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts