English · Word Candidate

arbitrary

/ˈɑː.bɪ.tɹə.ɹi/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: arbitraries

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

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

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Dựa trên sự tùy ý hoặc phán đoán cá nhân

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

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

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

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

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Xác định bởi xung động chứ không phải lý trí

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

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

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

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

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Bất kỳ thứ gì tùy ý, như giá trị số học hoặc phí

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

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.

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