arbitrary

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WOTD - 4 December 2006    

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[edit] English

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[edit] Etymology

From Latin arbitrarius, from arbiter - eye-witness, on-looker; judge, overseer, lord; executor. Mainly in legal context.

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Adjective

arbitrary (comparative more arbitrary, superlative most arbitrary)

Positive
arbitrary

Comparative
more arbitrary

Superlative
most arbitrary

  1. determined by impulse rather than reason; heavy-handed.
    "The Russian trials were Stalin's purges, with which he attempted to consolidate his power. Like most people in the West, I believed these show trials to be the arbitrary acts of a cruel dictator." (Max Born, Letters to Einstein)
  2. chosen for no reason, somewhat random.
  3. outcome usually technically logical.
    The equation is true for an arbitrary value of x.

[edit] Usage notes

  • Something is arbitrary if its value is not determined by anything but choice.

[edit] Translations

[edit] Related terms

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