arbitrary

adjective

ˈär-bə-ˌtrer-ē How to pronounce arbitrary (audio)
Definition of arbitrarynext
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

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of arbitrary Overturning the eighty-year-old world trade system by imposing arbitrary tariffs? — Mark Danner, The New York Review of Books, 1 Aug. 2026 The new cloak is designed to accommodate arbitrary inner and outer shapes while operating omnidirectionally. — New Atlas, 29 July 2026 The rhetoric resembles nothing more than the frothing tone of masculinity influencers in the online manosphere, with its strict but arbitrary standards for what makes a man a man. — Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026 The rational response to such arbitrary power is not to satisfy consumer demands, but to keep in the good graces of the Big Player. — Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for arbitrary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arbitrary
  1. arrogant
  2. random
  3. oppressive
  4. unfair
  5. scattered
  6. authoritarian
  7. inconsistent
  8. tyrannical
Adjective
  • The arrogant, brooding youth is gone almost entirely, and someone far more circumspect and humbled kneels before his older brother.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The Fight for the Soul of College Football, as the Hurricanes’ bold, brash and arrogant style transformed college football into something closer to theater.
    — Emile Nuh, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of arrogant
Adjective
  • Those reactions can look like freak weather, but the judgment underneath them isn’t random.
    — ESMT Berlin, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • In partnership with research firm ETC Institute, the city also mailed surveys to a random sample of at least 500 households across Elgin.
    — Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of random
Adjective
  • This stretch of eastern Long Island has long been a respite for New Yorkers seeking a seaside reprieve from the oppressive heat.
    — Elise Taylor, Vogue, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Alongside health advice, state media has repeatedly returned to a familiar propaganda theme — Kim’s willingness to endure the same oppressive weather faced by ordinary North Koreans.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of oppressive
Adjective
  • After posting six strikeouts in his début, Skubal rebuffed talk that his new team had unfair advantages.
    — Diego Lasarte, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026
  • South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago said exempting crypto from capital controls would create an unfair distortion.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of unfair
Adjective
  • During a walk through the park, CBS News Philadelphia also found scattered screws, metal fragments and broken glass in parts of the lawn.
    — Eva Andersen, CBS News, 30 July 2026
  • The right conversation could turn scattered effort into a working plan.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 5 July 2026
Definition of scattered
Adjective
  • The island’s very existence—a prosperous, democratic Chinese society integrated with the West—offers a stinging rebuke to the claim that authoritarian rule is uniquely suited to the Chinese people.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The reason is that protesters fear that the Republic of Georgia will continue following an authoritarian path similar to Russia’s, crushing their hopes and dreams of being another Western-style democracy that is a member of NATO and the EU.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of authoritarian
Adjective
  • Because the measures in the judge's order are specific to users in New Mexico, experts say piecemeal rulings and inconsistent legislation at the state level could create a new crop of issues.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The two regular season games against Chicago provided a microcosm of Nixon’s inconsistent season.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of inconsistent
Adjective
  • Ayatollah Khomeini portrayed the shah as the tyrannical Yazid and himself as a Husayn-like figure returning from exile to save the Iranian people from injustice.
    — Iqbal Akhtar, The Conversation, 31 July 2026
  • The Hawaiians viewed the new rules as tyrannical; those with the disease were wont to hide in the hills of the islands, forever on the run.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026
Definition of tyrannical

Browse Nearby Words

arbitrariness
arbitrary
arbitrate
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Arbitrary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arbitrary. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on arbitrary

Nglish: Translation of arbitrary for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of vacuous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All