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View synonyms for arbitrarily

arbitrarily

[ ahr-bi-trair-uh-lee ]

adverb

  1. based on the judgment or will of an individual:

    The Fourth Amendment protects my right to not be arbitrarily searched.

  2. without an apparent reason or pattern; randomly; capriciously:

    There is no need to stop living life to its fullest simply because we have reached some arbitrarily set age for what broader society calls “retirement.”



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Other Words From

  • non·ar·bi·trar·i·ly adverb
  • un·ar·bi·trar·i·ly adverb
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Word History and Origins

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Example Sentences

The president's spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, last month said the state "may not expropriate property arbitrarily or for a purpose other than... in the public interest".

From BBC

"What kind of message are we sending if someone can arbitrarily, with fact-free allegations, take away your vote after you've followed all the rules?"

From Salon

Amnesty called on Iran to release the dozens of other dual nationals, and many other non-violent political prisoners, who it said were being arbitrarily detained.

From BBC

Randomly killing and arbitrarily destroying, it has taken on near-supernatural dimensions, appearing at times to be laughing as it sped through brush and buildings, forcing thousands to flee.

Or is something else happening; is the press manifesting an unadmitted genuflection to raw power, exercised arbitrarily, out of calculated self-preservation?

From Salon

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arbitramentarbitrariness