English · Word Candidate

arbitrary

/ˈɑː.bɪ.tɹə.ɹi/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: arbitraries

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Based on individual discretion or judgment; not based on any objective distinction, perhaps even made at random.

Adjective

Examples

Benjamin Franklin's designation of "positive" and "negative" to different charges was arbitrary.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Determined by impulse rather than reason; often connoting heavy-handedness.

Adjective

Examples

1937/1938, Albert Einstein, letter to Max Born The Russian trials were Stalin's purges, with which he attempted to consolidate his power. Like most people in the West, I believed these show trials to be the arbitrary acts of a cruel dictator.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

Anything arbitrary, such as an arithmetical value or a fee.

Noun

Examples

And in this long chain of consistence, a chain stretching from the long dead to the far unborn, the notion of the arbitrary could only survive as the notion of a pre-established arbitrary.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “arbitrary” mean?

Based on individual discretion or judgment; not based on any objective distinction, perhaps even made at random.

Is “arbitrary” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.