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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of arbitrary
Political rights are severely circumscribed for all Iranians, the Internet is managed by the government, regime opponents are subject to arbitrary arrest, and women are singled out for special controls.
—
Richard Haass, Foreign Affairs, 6 Jan. 2025
The outcomes can feel especially arbitrary when everyone is telling more or less the same story.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
Pay special attention to changing policies or franchises imposing additional fees that seem arbitrary or exploitative.
—Michael McFall, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
In turn, these arbitrary policies caused so many Americans to needlessly suffer.
—Nicole Russell, USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for arbitrary 
Richard Haass, Foreign Affairs, 6 Jan. 2025
The outcomes can feel especially arbitrary when everyone is telling more or less the same story.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
Pay special attention to changing policies or franchises imposing additional fees that seem arbitrary or exploitative.
—Michael McFall, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
In turn, these arbitrary policies caused so many Americans to needlessly suffer.
—Nicole Russell, USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for arbitrary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arbitrary
Adjective
-
Julie Bowen and Christopher McDonald return as love interest Virginia Venit and arrogant rival Shooter McGavin, respectively, and the cast includes rookies like Bad Bunny, Travis Kelce and pro wrestler Maxwell Jacob Friedman.—
Brian Truitt,
USA TODAY,
17 Jan. 2025
-
Those include genial second-year resident Dr. King (Taylor Dearden), arrogant intern Santos (Isa Briones), and doe-eyed med students Javadi (Shabana Azeez) and Whittaker (Gerran Howell).—
Ryan Schwartz,
TVLine,
9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Oh, the third mode is a combination of both – sets of airbags inflate and deflate in seemingly random order – which has been perhaps my favorite setting.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
18 Jan. 2025
-
Go and read random slave narratives and get their experience of the time.—
David Marchese,
New York Times,
18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Jimmy Garoppolo profited from exposure to 49ers’ system The Commanders, thankfully shorn of the oppressive incompetence of former owner Daniel Snyder, were remade in a year by G.M. Adam Peters and coach Dan Quinn.—
Jerry McDonald,
The Mercury News,
21 Jan. 2025
-
The book, taking the form of a fable told in short, single paragraphs, scattershot swatches of wisdom, aphorisms and illustrations, has long been a manual for how to practice togetherness in the face of extreme, oppressive opposition.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them,
20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
In this paradigm, the ideal worker is less like a corporate ally or a trusted collaborator and more like a subject of an authoritarian regime.—
Anna Wiener,
The New Yorker,
27 Jan. 2025
-
Over the past decade, during which the authoritarian Law and Justice party has ruled in Poland, the Centre has served as a staunch defender of independent research.—
Natalia Romik / Madę by History,
TIME,
27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
For any governor to face a recall based on the omnipresent challenges of managing such a large-scale disaster seems unfair.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
18 Jan. 2025
-
Block has agreed to pay up to $120 million to consumers harmed by fraudulent transactions and unfair business practices detailed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in a consent order filed on Thursday.—
Anne Marie Lee,
CBS News,
17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The police asked him about what appeared to be cuts on his right hand, and Mr. Cady gave inconsistent explanations, the authorities said.—
Simon J. Levien,
New York Times,
25 Jan. 2025
-
Normally, going back in time introduces all sorts of nasty paradoxes, like the infamous grandfather paradox, or, less violently, inconsistent histories.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
25 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
King Saran Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) will portray the tyrannical king who is also Amari and Inan's father.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
22 Jan. 2025
-
Despite these achievements, many scholars believe the king deserves his tyrannical reputation.—
Ellen Wexler,
Smithsonian Magazine,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Reddit Reacts Reddit users supported OP, pointing out the unreasonable nature of the neighbor's behavior.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
24 Jan. 2025
-
The question the Supreme Court will consider Wednesday is whether courts can look at everything that happened during the 2016 traffic stop in determining if the officer can be tried for unreasonable force under the Fourth Amendment.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA TODAY,
22 Jan. 2025
Articles Related to arbitrary
Thesaurus Entries Near arbitrary
Cite this Entry
“Arbitrary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arbitrary. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share