Synonyms of arbitrary

arbitrary

adjective

ˈär-bə-ˌtrer-ē 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• arrogant
• unfair
• inconsistent
• unreasonable
• authoritarian
• dominant
• dictatorial
• imperious
• unjust
• willful
• peremptory
• domineering
• high-handed
• commanding
• unequal
• capricious
• totalitarian
• tyrannical
• erratic
• overbearing
• despotic
• demanding
• autocratic
• whimsical
• presumptuous
• partisan
• inequitable
• haughty
• unrealistic
• imperative
• mercurial
• biased
• changeable
• unprincipled
• unscrupulous
• masterful
• unconscionable
• tyrannous
• unethical
• lordly
• prejudiced

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• equal
• equitable
• objective
• reasonable
• fair
• impartial
• balanced
• rational
• just
• dispassionate
• disinterested
• evenhanded
• nonpartisan
• understanding
• moral
• unbiased
• unprejudiced
• ethical
• honorable
• unimpeachable
• principled
• irreproachable
• law-abiding

2

as in random

lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern

the order of the names of the 10 semifinalists is entirely arbitrary

Synonyms & Similar Words

• random
• scattered
• erratic
• accidental
• haphazard
• stray
• sporadic
• lucky
• contingent
• aimless
• casual
• odd
• desultory
• irregular
• slapdash
• hit-or-miss
• incidental
• chance
• inadvertent
• helter-skelter
• catch-as-catch-can
• indiscriminate
• unintentional
• fortuitous
• unintended
• unplanned
• spot
• unconsidered
• unsystematic
• unpremeditated
• purposeless
• shotgun
• directionless
• scattershot
• undirected
• disorganized
• chancy
• fluky
• disorderly
• undiscriminating
• objectless
• unselective

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• systematic
• regular
• regular
• orderly
• continuous
• constant
• fixed
• stable
• organized
• steady
• nonrandom
• established
• methodical
• systematized
• even
• set
• arranged
• deliberate
• conscious
• aware
• planned
• purposeful
• ordered
• willful
• thoughtful
• managed
• orchestrated

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• oppressive
• authoritarian
• tyrannical
• despotic
• autocratic
• dictatorial
• absolute
• tyrannous
• domineering
• czarist
• monocratic
• totalitarian
• antidemocratic
• imperious
• sovereign
• magisterial
• autonomous
• omnipotent
• all-powerful
• unconditional
• high-handed
• unlimited
• jackbooted
• almighty
• antirepublican
• masterful
• self-governing
• self-ruling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• limited
• constitutional
• restricted
• lawful
• democratic
• circumscribed
• restrained
• republican

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of arbitrary

Judges found Thaci and three former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders responsible for arbitrary detention, torture, cruel treatment and 96 murders of civilians, while acquitting them on six charges of crimes against humanity. — Mike Corder, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026

The economists suggest the tax rules are arbitrary and unfair. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026

Ware pointed to a resilient economy and steady core inflation, arguing that stocks would be more vulnerable to a slowdown in either consumer spending or artificial-intelligence investment than to the 10-year crossing an arbitrary threshold. — Sean Conlon,lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026

Research finds these cascades are often triggered by essentially arbitrary events. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026

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