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

Last fall, the state sided with the reconsideration committee and said the decision to remove the book was arbitrary, reinstating it in high school libraries. — Tara Lynch, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

That decision involves far more than agreeing on an arbitrary number. — Catherine Shanahan, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026

The 2-1 decision rejected Anthropic's argument that the Department of Defense's ban on its Claude models was arbitrary, unauthorized and unconstitutional. — Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026

But labor campaigners said in the statement that their wage demand wasn’t arbitrary. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026

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