Definition of caprice
1a : a sudden, impulsive, and seemingly unmotivated notion or action policy changes that seem to be motivated by nothing more than capriceb : a sudden usually unpredictable condition, change, or series of changes the caprices of the weather
2 : a disposition to do things impulsively a preference for democratic endeavor over authoritarian caprice
3 : capriccio 3
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Examples of caprice in a Sentence
… Montana's “Durum Triangle,” where the caprice of microclimates has led farmers to complain not of floods but of drought. —Florence Williams, New Republic, 16 Aug. 1999
But Castro has his army and his secret police and a reputation for ferocious caprice, and so he can make a whole people dance to his dementias. —Jack Beatty, Atlantic, January 1987
I'm allowing about ten days between here and the U.S.A. (that may be too much or too little, depending on the caprice of the Italian mails). —James Wright, letter, 28 May 1979
the caprices of the weather
Employees have complained of being at the mercy of the manager's every whim and caprice.
policy changes that seem to be motivated by nothing more than caprice
Recent Examples of caprice from the Web
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In fact, twice — once at the hands of their killers and again at the caprices of the ME [medical examiner].
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But a sense of the caprice of fate never left Milosz.
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In tandem with a winsome chorus of Mooncats—slinky, musical creatures—the two canines meditate on fate, geopolitical caprice, and the vagaries of animal and human consciousness.
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Even the rare good things that happen to Amy and Jordan are unfair caprices of fate; the only real way to cope with powerlessness in the face of disaster, Beyer suggests, is to giggle at its absurdity.
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CapriceAs far as nightclubs go, there isn't a place that's more Greek than Caprice, an Astoria hot-spot which has been around for 15 years.
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No more relying on the fleeting kindness of Christian princes or the caprice of Ottoman viziers.
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I would be guided only by my merest whim, caprice, or appetite.
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The first post-Fleming Bond novel, Colonel Sun, was by the 007 superfan Kingsley Amis, who (under the pseudonym Robert Markham) gleefully submitted himself to the caprices of the Fleming style, with its stern limits and sudden, lurid inflations.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'caprice'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Synonym Discussion of caprice
CAPRICE Defined for English Language Learners
caprice
playDefinition of caprice for English Language Learners
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: a sudden change; especially : a sudden change in someone's mood or behavior
CAPRICE Defined for Kids
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See words that rhyme with caprice Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for caprice Spanish Central: Translation of caprice Nglish: Translation of caprice for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of caprice for Arabic speakers
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