What does "arbitrary" mean?
Anything arbitrary, such as an arithmetical value or a fee.
Arbitrary
/ˈɑː.bɪ.tɹə.ɹi/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Anything arbitrary, such as an arithmetical value or a fee.
- Grammar: arbitrary is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: absolute, absolutist, absolutistic, aristocratic.
- Useful contrasts: rigorous, calculated action, codified rules.
- Usage evidence: My mother prefers the arbitrary selection of the lottery machines over my lucky numbers.
How to use "arbitrary"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "arbitrary" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "arbitrary" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "arbitrary" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "arbitrary" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "arbitrary" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "absolute" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "arbitrary", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Anything arbitrary, such as an arithmetical value or a fee.
"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."
Adjective
- 1 Based on individual discretion or judgment; not based on any objective distinction, perhaps even made at random. usually
"Benjamin Franklin's designation of "positive" and "negative" to different charges was arbitrary."
- 2 Determined by impulse rather than reason; often connoting heavy-handedness.
"1937/1938, Albert Einstein, letter to Max Born The Russian trials were Stalin's purges, with which he attempted to consolidate his power. Like most people in the West, I believed these show trials to be the arbitrary acts of a cruel dictator."
- 3 Any, out of all that are possible.
"The equation is true for an arbitrary value of x."
- 4 Determined by independent arbiter.
- 5 Not representative or symbolic; not iconic.
Adjective
- 1 based on or subject to individual discretion or preference or sometimes impulse or caprice wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"My mother prefers the arbitrary selection of the lottery machines over my lucky numbers."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "arbitrary"?
Common synonyms include: absolute, absolutist, absolutistic, aristocratic, arrogant, autarchic.
How do you use "arbitrary" in a sentence?
My mother prefers the arbitrary selection of the lottery machines over my lucky numbers.
How do you pronounce "arbitrary"?
Pronounced /ˈɑː.bɪ.tɹə.ɹi/.
Etymology
From Middle English arbitrarie, Latin arbitrārius (“arbitrary, uncertain”), from arbiter (“witness, on-looker, listener, judge, overseer”).