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
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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
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Recent Examples of arbitrary
Implementing a virtual patch to restrict Apache Log4j's ability to run arbitrary commands has an impact beyond a specific CVE and provides a generic exploit prevention capability for current and future vulnerabilities.
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Austin Gadient, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Ridiculously arbitrary and punishingly expensive parking mandates — which require parking spaces to be built even when an apartment building is right atop a subway station — will be rolled back.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 5 Dec. 2024
During a dinner banquet later the same day, Belousov said the two countries’ strategic partnership was crucial to defend their sovereignty from aggression and the arbitrary actions of imperialists, North Korean state media said.
—Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2024
After Leung's sentencing, the U.S. recommended -- though without citing specific cases -- that Americans reconsider traveling to China because of arbitrary law enforcement and exit bans and the risk of wrongful detentions.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 28 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for arbitrary 
Austin Gadient, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Ridiculously arbitrary and punishingly expensive parking mandates — which require parking spaces to be built even when an apartment building is right atop a subway station — will be rolled back.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 5 Dec. 2024
During a dinner banquet later the same day, Belousov said the two countries’ strategic partnership was crucial to defend their sovereignty from aggression and the arbitrary actions of imperialists, North Korean state media said.
—Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2024
After Leung's sentencing, the U.S. recommended -- though without citing specific cases -- that Americans reconsider traveling to China because of arbitrary law enforcement and exit bans and the risk of wrongful detentions.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 28 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for arbitrary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arbitrary
Adjective
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Some media outlets are surrendering to Trump already This absurd boasting — arrogant without portfolio — is just what Trump is looking for in the VOA job.Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 13 Dec. 2024
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Angle was able to alter between arrogant heel and lovable goofball almost on a whim.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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As a result, Briggs’ dream of a bucolic ranch life has instead been marred by animals found covered in oil, concerns for her groundwater and air quality, and even the looming threat of a random explosion.Evan Simon, ABC News, 19 Dec. 2024
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For example, sides can be worn out using the Side Distortion tool which creates random holes in the body with Erosion or partially dim text using Blur distortion.Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The ongoing siege at the Argentine embassy in Caracas is a stark reminder of the oppressive lengths to which Nicolás Maduro’s regime will go to silence dissent.David Smolansky, National Review, 12 Dec. 2024
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But that sensibility seems especially widespread right now at the tail end of an already challenging year, and on the precipice of what is bound to be an exhausting, oppressive period.James Factora, Them, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Exuberant Syrians observed the first Friday prayers since the ouster of Assad, gathering in the capital's historic main mosque, its largest square and around the country to celebrate the end of half a century of authoritarian rule.ALBERT AJI AND MATTHEW LEE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, arkansasonline.com, 14 Dec. 2024
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If the impeachment is confirmed by the Constitutional Court, Yoon will become the fourth South Korean president — out of eight total — to be jailed or ousted since the nation democratized in 1987 after decades of authoritarian rule.Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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In essence, the leaders of 1,300 public schools in the nation’s second-largest school system — known for strict adherence to policies and for echoing the district’s messaging — have said their burden is unfair and their voices go unheard.Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
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The pop icon is no stranger to body positivity − after years of scrutiny in the entertainment industry, she's become an outspoken voice against unfair beauty standards.Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Gruden won a Super Bowl against his former Raiders squad in his first year in Tampa, but the rest of his tenure was wildly inconsistent.Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 13 Dec. 2024
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The Premier League this season is inconsistent, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.Nick Miller, The Athletic, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical twin emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist.Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 15 Dec. 2024
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This has created a chain reaction throughout the Middle East of all those who want to be free from this oppressive and tyrannical regime.Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Left in the dust ‘Cruise’ driverless robot taxis are seen at a parking lot as California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) revokes its self-driving car permit and citing ‘unreasonable risk to public safety’ in San Francisco, California, USA on October 24, 2023.Kristian Burt, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2024
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To determine whether those amounts posed an unreasonable risk of harm, the agency compared them to a specific benchmark — the highest concentration of formaldehyde measured by government monitors in outdoor air between 2015 and 2020.Sharon Lerner and Al Shaw, CNN, 5 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Arbitrary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arbitrary. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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