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
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Recent Examples of arbitrary
The other roommate, Nathan Blalock, remains in prison, which Jackson said highlights the arbitrary nature of the decision.
—
Martha Ross, Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2025
The state department has advised Americans not to travel to Belarus, citing the Belarusian authorities’ arbitrary enforcement of local laws and the risk of detention as key factors.
—Victoria Butenko, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2025
What follows is a twisted examination of motherhood and the arbitrary expectations of adulthood.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
This is less sound economic policymaking than the arbitrary dispersal of favors.
—David B. McGarry, Baltimore Sun, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arbitrary
Martha Ross, Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2025
The state department has advised Americans not to travel to Belarus, citing the Belarusian authorities’ arbitrary enforcement of local laws and the risk of detention as key factors.
—Victoria Butenko, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2025
What follows is a twisted examination of motherhood and the arbitrary expectations of adulthood.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
This is less sound economic policymaking than the arbitrary dispersal of favors.
—David B. McGarry, Baltimore Sun, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arbitrary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arbitrary
Adjective
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Ava Daniels is a young comedy writer who is unable to find work due to an insensitive tweet and her reputation for being self-centered and arrogant.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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And the villains, of course, exuding every nastily relatable emotion; the stepmothers and sorceresses are vain, arrogant, dismissive, lonely, rude, and outrageous.—
Darren Franich,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Nicki Minaj was reportedly the target of a random swatting attack by someone who told police there had been a shooting at her Hidden Hills home.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
10 Apr. 2025
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And as for the new show, the contestants are no longer random.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Plan Your Trip Charleston, South Carolina The Holy City may be blanketed in humidity in the height of summer, but Charlestonians have figured out all the best ways to deal with the oppressive air.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
4 Apr. 2025
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Yet history provides no shortage of examples of human courage, even under the most oppressive circumstances.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Since taking office just a few weeks ago, President Trump has rapidly depleted the reservoir of America’s soft power with an authoritarian bent and astonishing speed.—
Penny Abeywardena,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
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Other writers and artists have also begun to mine this era for clues to China’s current authoritarian malaise.—
Ian Johnson,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Trump sees tariffs as a tool to protect domestic manufacturing businesses from unfair global competition or to open up open markets such as the EU's so American businesses can sell more freely in them.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
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In some ways, this is the same old story of an unfair economy where the rungs on the ladder to success keep getting farther apart, keeping those with wealth securely at the top while others struggle to climb.—
Daryl Fairweather,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But without a strong messaging foundation, those pieces can feel scattered, inconsistent, or even contradictory.—
Rhea Wessel,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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His current form may be inconsistent at best, but Finau believes the best results of his career are still ahead of him.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The film, based on Georges Simenon’s 1950 novel, stars Depardieu as a celebrated but tyrannical actor grappling with personal and professional decline.—
Scott Roxborough,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Mar. 2025
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What is the character of those who bear false witness and favor Russia’s tyrannical lies over Ukrainians’ unalienable rights?—
Mark Sandy,
TIME,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The words were harsh but the logic was not unreasonable.—
George Caulkin,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
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This would not be an unreasonable proposition, considering the U.S. already pledged a security guarantee to Ukraine upon its return of all nuclear warheads to Russia by 1996, based on the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances.—
Seung-Whan Choi,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arbitrary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arbitrary. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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