What is the meaning of arbitrary?

adjective

  • Based on or subject to individual discretion or preference or sometimes impulse or caprice.
    • usage: "an arbitrary decision"; "the arbitrary rule of a dictator"; "an arbitrary penalty"; "of arbitrary size and shape"; "an arbitrary choice"; "arbitrary division of the group into halves"
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
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APAWordNet. (2010). arbitrary. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/arbitrary/definitions/1168350
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "arbitrary" http://smartdefine.org/arbitrary/definitions/1168350 (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, arbitrary, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/arbitrary/definitions/1168350>.
MLAWordNet. "arbitrary" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/arbitrary/definitions/1168350>
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