1
as in arrogant
having or showing a tendency to force one's will on others without any regard to fairness or necessity
an arbitrary piano teacher who makes all her students do the same exercises over and over again
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in random
lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern
the order of the names of the 10 semifinalists is entirely arbitrary
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in oppressive
exercising power or authority without interference by others
a nation with no tradition of democracy, only a long history of arbitrary rulers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of arbitrary
The states are alleging that this fails to make the policy any less arbitrary or capricious.
—
John Timmer, Ars Technica, 10 Feb. 2025
When do courts tend to find that an agency action is arbitrary?
—Christina Gatti, NPR, 8 Feb. 2025
Created by Congress to enforce U.S. labor laws, NLRB is an independent agency with board members who are insulated from arbitrary removal.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 5 Feb. 2025
Russian forces are ruling occupied Ukraine with an iron fist, engaging in a ruthless campaign of torture, kidnapping, violence, and arbitrary killing.
—Andrew Kosenko, Foreign Affairs, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arbitrary
John Timmer, Ars Technica, 10 Feb. 2025
When do courts tend to find that an agency action is arbitrary?
—Christina Gatti, NPR, 8 Feb. 2025
Created by Congress to enforce U.S. labor laws, NLRB is an independent agency with board members who are insulated from arbitrary removal.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 5 Feb. 2025
Russian forces are ruling occupied Ukraine with an iron fist, engaging in a ruthless campaign of torture, kidnapping, violence, and arbitrary killing.
—Andrew Kosenko, Foreign Affairs, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arbitrary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arbitrary
Adjective
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According to Packer, several surefire ways to ensure success start here: Be arrogant!—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
17 Feb. 2025
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In 1254, King Edward I and Queen Eleanor of Castile were married at a very young age, and although Edward had a reputation for being arrogant and quarrelsome, the pair eventually fell deeply in love.—
Gulnaz Khan,
AFAR Media,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In the early 20th century, physicists wanted to study Brownian motion, the random movement of particles in a liquid or gas.—
Solomon Adams,
WIRED,
23 Feb. 2025
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While there are countless wormholes to be dragged into on a player’s Baseball Reference page, many of them can be pushed aside with the explanation that the reasoning for a level of success (or lack thereof) is due to the sample size making those results random.—
Tyler Small,
Forbes,
23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This gripping series takes viewers into insidious modern-day cults through the unique lens of members who endured unspeakable trauma and the shocking investigations into these oppressive groups.—
Katcy Stephan,
Variety,
27 Feb. 2025
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Dominic Frey is a member of the oppressive class and everything Silas should despise — but now their mutual discretion is all that’s keeping them from punishment for their crimes of passion.—
Olivia Waite,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Some human rights advocates are concerned about a growing alignment between how the Trump administration discusses democracy work and how authoritarian regimes frame the same topic.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
19 Feb. 2025
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But by ceding global leadership to authoritarian China, Trump is creating a world that will almost certainly be hostile to the United States, its prosperity, and its people.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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That was going to be unfair to every single girl on this team.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Feb. 2025
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Failing to meet the most stringent applicable requirements could expose employers to legal risks, including claims of unfair hiring practices.—
Alonzo Martinez,
Forbes,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Though such investment had surged in 2017, a spike in 2019 prompted the first concerns that the departure to China of large amounts of American money was inconsistent with President Donald Trump’s goals.—
Derek Scissors,
National Review,
20 Feb. 2025
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The one knock on Frazier was that his snaps were inconsistent.—
Mike DeFabo,
The Athletic,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Only the second entry in the young Thompson's filmography, Heavyweights tells the story of a group of enrollees at a weight loss camp who stage a coup against the tyrannical fitness enthusiasts who've recently seized power.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
20 Feb. 2025
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The most unpopular president this century is dictating tyrannical violations of the U.S. Constitution.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The price isn’t unreasonable given the amount of detail that went into designing it and the combination of functions, including the antimicrobial and cooling materials, as well as its adaptability.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
20 Feb. 2025
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This protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
20 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to arbitrary
Cite this Entry
“Arbitrary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arbitrary. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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