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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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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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of arbitrary
The prison has long been infamous for its widespread human rights violations, including arbitrary detention and systemic torture.
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Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
Get the ring that’s perfect for the woman, not the ring whose price tag aligns with an arbitrary algorithm.
18.
—Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2024
After all, so many of the norms that make disability so inconvenient—font sizes, the height at which a drawing is hung—are utterly arbitrary, and so can be reinvented.
—Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 17 Dec. 2024
This first study on ADHD, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed the effect of arbitrary cut-off dates for enrollment in public schools on rates of diagnosis and treatment for ADHD.
—Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for arbitrary 
Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
Get the ring that’s perfect for the woman, not the ring whose price tag aligns with an arbitrary algorithm.
18.
—Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2024
After all, so many of the norms that make disability so inconvenient—font sizes, the height at which a drawing is hung—are utterly arbitrary, and so can be reinvented.
—Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 17 Dec. 2024
This first study on ADHD, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed the effect of arbitrary cut-off dates for enrollment in public schools on rates of diagnosis and treatment for ADHD.
—Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for arbitrary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arbitrary
Adjective
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Teamsters officials later complained that Harris, who would go on to lose all seven battleground states, was arrogant in her dealings with them.W. James Antle III, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 30 Dec. 2024
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Russia, Iran, and many other countries criticize U.S. military interventions as arrogant, ignorant of local context, and unable to fashion either stable regimes or effective security structures.Alexander Baunov, Foreign Affairs, 26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Scattering can also cause a random brightening/dimming of different areas of the spectrum, called scintillation, and somewhat analogous to the twinkling of stars caused by our atmosphere.John Timmer, Ars Technica, 3 Jan. 2025
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One random knock at the door in 2006 would lead to their house becoming part of television history.Gil Macias, People.com, 3 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But the backdrops are rendered with an oppressive prettiness that has a perverse cheapening effect.Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Jan. 2025
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The total absence of shadow is an oppressive sensation, which engenders a feeling similar to that of claustrophobia.New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Yoon’s order faced fierce backlash from the public and lawmakers across the political spectrum, reviving painful memories of the country’s authoritarian past.Gawon Bae, CNN, 15 Jan. 2025
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Yes, dollars circulated in authoritarian, murderous Syria because market goods did.John Tamny, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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This will be crucial to avoid reputation risks tied to unfair practices.Joe Burton, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
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At the time, Ebrard said the moves would shield Mexico’s textile sector from unfair global competition, which has eroded domestic GDP by nearly 5 percent in recent years, costing the country’s apparel sector 79,000 jobs.Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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In terms of individual markets, and as noted above, China continues to be inconsistent for Hollywood, but even its local titles had issues in 2024.Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 15 Jan. 2025
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His performance has been inconsistent at times, and there have been problems out of his control, like mechanical issues, team mistakes or strategy not panning out.Luke Smith, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Cortland sawing off his own arm and serving it to his tyrannical father — that’s pretty straightforward.Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2025
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The original Caligari, in which a mysterious doctor and his fortune-telling somnambulist commit a series of murders and drive two young people to madness, is often regarded as a critique of Germans’ blind obedience to tyrannical authority during the First World War.Elle Carroll, Vulture, 24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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In the comments, many people criticized the niece for disregarding her uncle's feelings and making an unreasonable request.Erin Clack, People.com, 14 Jan. 2025
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Most Canadians supported the move and opposed the weekslong blockades, but the Federal Court of Canada ruled last year that the use of the powers was unreasonable.Amanda Coletta The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 7 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Arbitrary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arbitrary. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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