Word of the Day

: December 21, 2009

arbitrary

adjective AHR-buh-trair-ee

What It Means

1 : autocratic, despotic

2 : determined by whim or caprice : existing or coming about seemingly at random or by chance

arbitrary in Context

The 10 p.m. deadline is arbitrary -- we could have easily selected another time for the contest to end -- but we had to pick a cutoff, and now it is set.

Did You Know?

"Arbitrary" is derived from the same source as "arbiter." The Latin word "arbiter" means "judge," and English adopted it, via Anglo-French, with the meaning "one who judges a dispute"; it can now also be used for anyone whose judgment is respected. "Arbitrary" traces back to the Latin adjective "arbitrarius" ("done by way of legal arbitration"), which itself comes from "arbiter." In English "arbitrary" first meant "depending upon choice or discretion" and was specifically used to indicate the sort of decision (as for punishment) left up to the expert determination of a judge rather than defined by law. Today, it can also be used for anything determined by or as if by a personal choice or whim.