arbitrary

C1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈɑɹ.bɪˌtɹɛ(ə).ɹi/ UK /ˈɑː.bɪ.tɹə.ɹi/ See IPA manual

Freq #21081

Meanings

1

adj
Based on personal choice or chance rather than on any clear reason or rule.

The order of the names on the list seems completely arbitrary.
2

adj
Using power in an unfair, harsh way without good reason or limits.

People lived in fear of the ruler's arbitrary punishments.
3

adj
Any one chosen from all those possible, with no particular one intended.

The equation holds true for an arbitrary value of x.

Thesaurus

Word family

Derived forms arbitrarily arbitrarinessarbitraritynonarbitraryunarbitrary

Related forms arbitarbiterarbitrablearbitragearbitrate arbitration arbitrator

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

apparently arbitrary
seeming to have been chosen without a clear reason or rule

Adverb + adjective

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin arbiter Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -ārius Latin arbitrāriusder. Middle English arbitrarie English arbitrary From Middle English arbitrarie, Latin arbitrārius (“arbitrary, uncertain”), from arbiter (“witness, on-looker, listener, judge, overseer”).

arbitrarie Middle English arbitrārius Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# arbitrary

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈɑɹ.bɪˌtɹɛ(ə).ɹi/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈɑː.bɪ.tɹə.ɹi/
**Frequency rank:** 21081

## Meanings
1. Based on personal choice or chance rather than on any clear reason or rule.
2. Using power in an unfair, harsh way without good reason or limits.
3. Any one chosen from all those possible, with no particular one intended.

## Examples
- The order of the names on the list seems completely arbitrary.
- People lived in fear of the ruler's arbitrary punishments.
- The equation holds true for an arbitrary value of x.

## Derived Forms
- arbitrarily
- arbitrariness
- arbitrarity
- nonarbitrary
- unarbitrary

## Related Forms
- arbit
- arbiter
- arbitrable
- arbitrage
- arbitrate
- arbitration
- arbitrator

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: arbitrarie
- Root: arbitrārius

## Etymology
Etymology tree Latin arbiter Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -ārius Latin arbitrāriusder. Middle English arbitrarie English arbitrary From Middle English arbitrarie, Latin arbitrārius (“arbitrary, uncertain”), from arbiter (“witness, on-looker, listener, judge, overseer”).

## AI Etymology
Arbitrary is from Middle English arbitrarie, Latin arbitrārius (“arbitrary, uncertain”), from arbiter (“witness, on-looker, listener, judge, overseer”). The historical chain records Latin arbiter, Proto-Indo-European *-yós, Proto-Italic *-āzios, Latin -ārius, Latin arbitrārius, Middle, English arbitrarie, and English arbitrary. Important recorded forms include arbitrarie (Middle English) and arbitrārius (Latin). Current senses include based on personal choice or chance rather than on any clear reason or rule, using power in an unfair, harsh way without good reason or limits, and any one chosen from all those possible, with no particular one intended. The wider family includes derived forms such as arbitrarily, arbitrariness, arbitrarity, nonarbitrary, and unarbitrary and related words such as arbit, arbiter, arbitrable, arbitrage, and arbitrate.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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