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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of arbitrary
But of course, that’s a very subjective, arbitrary cutoff, and different naturalists might draw that line in different places.
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Janna Levin, Quanta Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024
As viewers of the first two episodes discovered (along with the three families trapped together in the show), crossing a seemingly arbitrary line has serious consequences.
—Mark Peikert, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2024
These frameworks ensure that the compensation structure reflects the value each role brings to the company, rather than being based on arbitrary factors or negotiated on a case-by-case basis.
—Hope Horner, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
The Ukrainian government says thousands of Ukrainians have been held in arbitrary detention in Russia.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 13 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for arbitrary 
Janna Levin, Quanta Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024
As viewers of the first two episodes discovered (along with the three families trapped together in the show), crossing a seemingly arbitrary line has serious consequences.
—Mark Peikert, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2024
These frameworks ensure that the compensation structure reflects the value each role brings to the company, rather than being based on arbitrary factors or negotiated on a case-by-case basis.
—Hope Horner, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
The Ukrainian government says thousands of Ukrainians have been held in arbitrary detention in Russia.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 13 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for arbitrary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arbitrary
Adjective
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Manji will appear as Crispin, an arrogant, pompous employee at a fancy, high-end hardware store who snubs George.Katie Campione, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2024
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My 21-year-old grandson is a dramatic and arrogant know-it-all.Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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When shown random pixels, the judge guessed correctly only about 59% of the time.Stephen Ornes, Quanta Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
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So far, the only sign of anything amiss is the random Magic Marker doodle on the back of one of the many papers in Kornacki’s hands.Jen Chaney, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The concrete there takes, to me, a much more miserable, oppressive tone.Owen Davies, Curbed, 4 Nov. 2024
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Boyer is seven years his junior, and Sell struggles to return Boyer’s oppressive flat serve, winning only the first game of the second set.Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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In our age of brutal wars, authoritarian politics, cultures of contempt, and technology that promises to replace us with machines, what is left of the idea of the human being?George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
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Autocratic The autocratic style is also known as authoritarian leadership.Jason Miller, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The city and county of San Francisco filed the lawsuit seeking an injunction on April 18, alleging trademark infringement, unfair competition and false designation of the airport, according to court documents.Caelyn Pender, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
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Instead, thank your local county clerk for enduring four years of unfair accusations and conducting the 2024 election efficiently and effectively.Krista Kafer, The Denver Post, 11 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Loomer has cast doubt on his ability to appeal to true conservatives, referring to his policy positions as inconsistent with the MAGA agenda and his historical ties to the Democratic Party.David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
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This, Westcott told jurors, is inconsistent with Allen's actual behaviors during sessions with Wala.Ron Wilkins, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Nov. 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 Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist.Matt Grobar, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2024
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He’s simply replaced one tyrannical master with another.Katie Rife, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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As Barca laboured and eventually failed to land some of its transfer targets such as Nico Williams, the proposal for Casado might not have seemed too unreasonable at the time.Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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The indictment alleged Hankison deprived Taylor of the right to be free from unreasonable seizures and deprived her neighbors of the right to be free from the deprivation of liberty without due process of law.Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Arbitrary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arbitrary. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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