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subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one’s discretion:
an arbitrary decision.
decided by a judge or arbiter rather than by a law or statute.
having unlimited power; uncontrolled or unrestricted by law; despotic; tyrannical:
an arbitrary government.
capricious; unreasonable; unsupported:
an arbitrary demand for payment.
mathematics. undetermined; not -ssigned a specific value:
an arbitrary constant.
arbitraries, printing. (in britain) (def 9).
contemporary examples

moreover, once greendale is saved, they quickly call of their engagement further revealing its arbitrariness.
‘community’ season finale: greendale stares into the abyss, again chancellor agard april 17, 2014

historical examples

it likewise undertakes to guarantee the individual against partiality and arbitrariness in the administration of justice.
the governments of europe frederic austin ogg

without work, he would develop into a monster of caprice and arbitrariness.
pedagogics as a system karl rosenkranz

hence, the chief characteristic of landlord power, as felt by the tenant, is arbitrariness.
the land-war in ireland (1870) james g-dkin

all law is supposed to be just, otherwise it is arbitrariness and not law.
elements of morals paul janet

the proceeding was arbitrary, but the arbitrariness was necessary.
scenes from a courtesan’s life honore de balzac

it is needless to point out the arbitrariness of this comparison.
secret societies of the middle ages thomas keightley

it is the comparison of the mores of different times and peoples which shows the arbitrariness and conventionality.
folkways william graham sumner

the arbitrariness of the modern map-maker is as bad as that of his predecessors.
in darkest africa, vol. 2; or, the quest, rescue and retreat of emin, governor of equatoria henry morton stanley

the commonalty freed us from the orders and arbitrariness of individuals.
the ego and his own max stirner

adjective
founded on or subject to personal whims, prejudices, etc; capricious
having only relative application or relevance; not absolute
(of a government, ruler, etc) despotic or dictatorial
(maths) not representing any specific value: an arbitrary constant
(law) (esp of a penalty or punishment) not laid down by statute; within the court’s discretion
adj.

early 15c., “deciding by one’s own discretion,” from old french arbitraire (14c.) or directly from latin arbitrarius “depending on the will, uncertain,” from arbiter (see arbiter). the original meaning gradually descended to “capricious” and “despotic” (1640s). related: arbitrarily; arbitrariness.