capricious

adjective

ca·​pri·​cious kə-ˈpri-shəs  -ˈprē- 

: governed or characterized by caprice : impulsive, unpredictable

capriciously adverb

capriciousness noun

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Caprice and Capricious

The adjective capricious and its close relation, the noun caprice (a synonym of whim), both come via French from the Italian word capriccio, which has disputed origins. Capriccio originally referred not to a sudden desire but to a sudden shiver of horror and likely comes from the Italian capo, meaning “head,” and riccio, the word for “hedgehog.” The implication was that someone who shuddered in fear or horror was said to have a “hedgehog head,” meaning that the person’s hair stood on end like the spines of a hedgehog. The link between a whim and a shiver of horror is notably tenuous, though, and a possible link to Italian capra, meaning “goat,” has also been suggested, given the whimsy goats seem to employ in their gamboling. (Here is a full treatment of the disputed etymology.) Whatever its origins, capriccio came to mean “whim, fancy,” which directly relates to its uses today. Something done in a capricious manner is done on a whim, as in “a capricious decision to join the circus.”

Synonyms

• changeable
• changeful
• fickle
• flickery
• fluctuating
• fluid
• inconsistent
• inconstant
• mercurial
• mutable
• skittish
• temperamental
• uncertain
• unpredictable
• unsettled
• unstable
• unsteady
• variable
• volatile

Choose the Right Synonym for capricious

inconstant, fickle, capricious, mercurial, unstable mean lacking firmness or steadiness (as in purpose or devotion).

inconstant implies an incapacity for steadiness and an inherent tendency to change.

an inconstant friend

fickle suggests unreliability because of perverse changeability and incapacity for steadfastness.

performers discover how fickle fans can be

capricious suggests motivation by sudden whim or fancy and stresses unpredictability.

an utterly capricious critic

mercurial implies a rapid changeability in mood.

made anxious by her boss's mercurial temperament

unstable implies an incapacity for remaining in a fixed position or steady course and applies especially to a lack of emotional balance.

too unstable to hold a job

Examples of capricious in a Sentence

… every balloon voyage is a race between capricious winds and the amount of fuel on board. —Tom Morganthau, Newsweek, 29 Mar. 1999

She is capricious, however, and is said to take bribes and wantonly peddle her influence from time to time. —Hunter S. Thompson, Rolling Stone, 15 Dec. 1994

Lady Luck is a capricious mother who, as in a recurrent nightmare, always offers, never comes through, and never stops smiling. —Hugh Drummond, Boston Magazine, November 1989

I don't believe in random occurrences or blind chance, though I know the patterns of this world are capricious and terribly complex. —Leslie Marmon Silko, letter, 21 Aug. 1979

employees who are at the mercy of a capricious manager

The court ruled that the punishment was arbitrary and capricious.

Recent Examples on the Web

The circumstances of his execution gave further ammunition to critics who saw the system as capricious and absurd. —Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2024

If this all sounds capricious and impossible to keep track of when trying to decide to play a movie as a two-word or four-word title, don’t worry. —Joe Reid, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2024

Among establishment-minded Republicans leaning toward Harris, a steady hand—even one that would raise taxes on the rich—is much preferred to an erratic President who has proven inconsistent and capricious. —Philip Elliott, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024

An environment where the rule of law is increasingly questioned, economic stability is at risk, free trade is stifled by fear of capricious retaliation, and our society is further divided rather than united, is not a good formula for a vibrant economy. —Steven Tian, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French capricieux, borrowed from Italian capriccioso, from capriccio caprice + -oso -ous

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

capricious

adjective

ca·​pri·​cious kə-ˈprish-əs  -ˈprē-shəs 

: moved or controlled by caprice : apt to change suddenly

a capricious child

capricious weather

capriciously adverb

capriciousness noun

Legal Definition

capricious

adjective

ca·​pri·​cious kə-ˈpri-shəs, -ˈprē- 

1

: governed or characterized by impulse or whim: as

a

: lacking a rational basis

b

: likely to change suddenly

2

: not supported by the weight of evidence or established rules of law

—often used in the phrase arbitrary and capricious

capriciously adverb

capriciousness noun