adjective
arbitrary
AR-bih-trair-ee/ˈɑːrbɪtreri/
Determined by personal will without binding rules.
The decision is arbitrary: a coin toss determines which application is chosen.
Etymology
Originally connected with a judge's discretion, arbitrary described decisions not governed by fixed law. That contrast developed into the sense of personal choice unchecked by clear reason or rules.
In context
society where people were invited and encouraged to participate based on their level of skill in relationship to the required tasks right that's that's what we'd want and there are arbitrary barriers
More examples
- The researcher chose an arbitrary starting point.
- Citizens protested the ruler's arbitrary decrees.
- The cutoff seems more arbitrary than carefully reasoned.
Forms
arbitrary · more arbitrary · most arbitrary
Similar words
- capricious
- Emphasizes unpredictable changes of mood or preference.
- random
- Determined by chance rather than necessarily someone's unbound choice.