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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of arbitrary
The six exploits include a mix of flaws that allow hackers to achieve various malicious outcomes, such as executing arbitrary code, escalating privileges to take full control of a system or bypassing security features.
—
Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Naturally, the tech glitches and threatens to trap her forever — but that arbitrary twist leads to more time with Rae and Emma Corrin as Clara/Dorothy, whose connection makes the episode soar.
—Steve Greene, IndieWire, 12 Apr. 2025
However, economists have questioned the approach, with some saying the tariffs are arbitrary and others raising concerns about the ways in which Mr. Trump's levies will drive up the price of everyday goods.
—CBS News, 8 Apr. 2025
The responses, submitted by a fairly arbitrary group of women, range from profound to half-hearted.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arbitrary
Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Naturally, the tech glitches and threatens to trap her forever — but that arbitrary twist leads to more time with Rae and Emma Corrin as Clara/Dorothy, whose connection makes the episode soar.
—Steve Greene, IndieWire, 12 Apr. 2025
However, economists have questioned the approach, with some saying the tariffs are arbitrary and others raising concerns about the ways in which Mr. Trump's levies will drive up the price of everyday goods.
—CBS News, 8 Apr. 2025
The responses, submitted by a fairly arbitrary group of women, range from profound to half-hearted.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arbitrary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arbitrary
Adjective
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That doesn’t portray a hero, but rather someone so arrogant as to invent his own law and appoint himself its executioner.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2025
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Fed Up in Illinois Dear Fed Up: Is Edie mean, arrogant, disobedient and rude in the presence of her parents, or has she been invited to spend time with your girls separately?—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Her old boss Raymond King (J.K. Simmons), someone Chris had helped, was shot dead in LA and left a wall of random evidence involving a broken family, human trafficking and global assassinations.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
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The company, which started in 2015 and sells itself as a meal kit service, is actually closer to an online grocery store than a place that’s going to send you half an onion wrapped in plastic and a tiny baggy of cumin to make some so-so black bean tacos or a random stir fry.—
Carina Finn,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Collector is also hoping these will satiate the growing wants of his oppressive overlord, The Forger (Roddy Ricch), who has mysterious motives of his own.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2025
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The current war in Sudan involves civil strife and shifting allegiances, in which one oppressive regime was toppled by a coalition, which then turned in on itself, leading to an even more vicious war.—
Lawrence D. Freedman,
Foreign Affairs,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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His parents were Italian immigrants who fled Benito Mussolini’s fascist regime, and his grandmother Rosa Margherita Vassallo di Bergoglio was active in Catholic Action, formed by Italian bishops who wanted to maintain their independence from Mussolini’s authoritarian rule.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
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Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been called an authoritarian, and previous reports have noted restrictions to civil liberties.—
Graham Smith,
NPR,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The independent agency is in charge of investigating and adjudicating complaints about unfair labor practices and protecting U.S. workers' rights to form unions.—
Jenna McLaughlin,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2025
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OpenAI filed a countersuit earlier this month accusing Musk of unfair competition.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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After an inconsistent first half of the season, manager Unai Emery has found a way of tinkering with Villa’s line-up and still winning.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
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Even so, the practice of choosing a papal name remained inconsistent for the next 1,000 years, with most popes using their baptismal names.—
Christopher Watson,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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And what can today’s resistance movements facing tyrannical regimes learn from their success?—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2025
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Howard plays himself as a tyrannical auteur who petulantly refuses to cut a vacuous scene from his overlong thriller, warding off pleas only to change his mind at the moment of truth.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Courts will not second-guess the safety measures employers adopt, even when those measures infringe on an employee’s privacy, unless the measures are unreasonable under the circumstances.—
Dan Eaton,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Apr. 2025
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Companies need to assess their higher costs, and then negotiate with the state regulators who try to protect ratepayers from unreasonable hikes.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arbitrary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arbitrary. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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