as in capriciously
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Recent Examples of arbitrarily
According to Mavares, investigators then arbitrarily selected which officers would remain detained.
—
Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 May 2026
The constitutional principle behind that decision – that citizenship is a fundamental right which can’t be arbitrarily taken away by whoever happens to be in power – applies equally to how the government handles denaturalization cases today.
—Cassandra Burke Robertson, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
This undermines our Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures — in other words, everyone deserves to drive without fear of being arbitrarily pulled over.
—Lauren Aung, Washington Post, 23 Apr. 2026
These types of homes should not be arbitrarily restricted from the state’s residential areas.
—Eliza Terziev, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
The plaintiffs at the center of this case are not being targeted arbitrarily.
—Mikayla Price, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
No such rules appear to exist for Saudi Arabia, whose leaders have been accused of arbitrarily arresting, jailing and torturing people who speak out against the government.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 9 Apr. 2026
Much smaller than originally thought Initially, when discovered in January, it was arbitrarily assumed that Comet MAPS might be rather large, as most Kreutz comets go.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2026
The dollar amount was chosen arbitrarily based on what voters might accept, and some cynics saw it as a move by a pro-development commission to cozy up to environmentalists.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 May 2026
The constitutional principle behind that decision – that citizenship is a fundamental right which can’t be arbitrarily taken away by whoever happens to be in power – applies equally to how the government handles denaturalization cases today.
—Cassandra Burke Robertson, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
This undermines our Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures — in other words, everyone deserves to drive without fear of being arbitrarily pulled over.
—Lauren Aung, Washington Post, 23 Apr. 2026
These types of homes should not be arbitrarily restricted from the state’s residential areas.
—Eliza Terziev, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
The plaintiffs at the center of this case are not being targeted arbitrarily.
—Mikayla Price, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
No such rules appear to exist for Saudi Arabia, whose leaders have been accused of arbitrarily arresting, jailing and torturing people who speak out against the government.
—Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 9 Apr. 2026
Much smaller than originally thought Initially, when discovered in January, it was arbitrarily assumed that Comet MAPS might be rather large, as most Kreutz comets go.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2026
The dollar amount was chosen arbitrarily based on what voters might accept, and some cynics saw it as a move by a pro-development commission to cozy up to environmentalists.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arbitrarily
Adverb
-
Permits that are granted and withdrawn capriciously, tax credits that come and go, technologies that fall in or out of favor in successive administrations, and endless legal battles all amount to dangerous barriers to investment.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
16 Apr. 2026
-
That standard would uphold the NCAA’s interpretation of the waiver rule so long as the NCAA didn’t act arbitrarily or capriciously, either of which is difficult to show.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Once outside, the suspect fired indiscriminately, hitting other houses and possibly a vehicle in the immediate area, Sutter said.—
Nathaniel Percy,
Oc Register,
20 May 2026
-
Innate defenses include everything from physical barriers—skin, mucous, gastric acid—to immune cells that can indiscriminately gobble invaders, as well as chemical signals that can swiftly ignite generic inflammation.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
Adverb
-
When Tel received the ball in his own half a couple of minutes later and lost it carelessly, there were a few groans from the home fans.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
During the pavilion’s preview, a brief but loud protest led by Russian dissident disruptors Pussy Riot and the Ukrainian feminist group FEMEN might have been the most exciting thing to happen at the underwhelming and carelessly presented group show of live performance and video art.—
Fiona Sinclair Scott,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
Adverb
-
My doctors didn’t choose it casually.—
Payton Herres,
STAT,
19 May 2026
-
What the Research Found About Stigma and Language The team behind the change did not arrive at PMOS casually.—
Samantha Agate,
Sacbee.com,
19 May 2026
Adverb
-
Since late March, attackers have randomly stabbed two Jewish men, and arsonists have attacked three synagogues, an educational building, and four charity ambulances in the United Kingdom.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
-
The agency randomly selected properties and then went to sites where residents agreed to testing and where access was feasible.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
20 May 2026
Adverb
-
No landlord would allow an occupant to change his property without approval, let alone whimsically destroy a third of it.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Something this rare — this pink, this whimsically named — had been thriving just steps away from a local community, entirely unrecognized until the survey team went out to look.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
If policies are vague, documentation is thin or authority is informally exercised, questions will follow.—
William Phillips,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
Initially, Lyndes informally suggested the renovation project during a city budget planning session in early April.—
Barbara Henry,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 May 2026
Adverb
-
Huxley’s critique is clear; America mistakes body for spirit, promiscuously confusing the physical with the metaphysical.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
-
Political factions are steered by big personalities, and politicians jump promiscuously between parties.—
BEN BLAND,
Foreign Affairs,
13 Feb. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Arbitrarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arbitrarily. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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