# arbitrarily

/ˈɑɹbɪˌtɹɛɹəɫi/ (US) · /ˌɑːbɪtɹˈɛɹəli/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/arbitrarily
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. without a logical reason

adverb · CEFR C1 · Academic

doing something based on a random choice or a personal whim instead of using a fair system or logic.

For teachers: in a manner based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system. Often carries a negative connotation of unfairness in administrative or legal contexts.

- The teacher seemed to pick students arbitrarily rather than following the alphabet.
- The committee was criticized for arbitrarily changing the entry requirements just weeks before the application deadline.

Usage: Typically modifies verbs related to decision-making, such as 'chosen', 'selected', 'assigned', or 'determined'.

Teaching tip: Learners often confuse this with 'randomly'; while similar, 'arbitrarily' often implies a human choice that lacks a fair justification.

### 2. to any degree or value

adverb · CEFR C2 · Technical · Academic

to any size or amount, often used when the exact number does not matter for the result.

For teachers: to an unspecified or unrestricted degree; in mathematics, used to indicate that a value can be as large or small as desired.

- You can make the window arbitrarily small by dragging the corner.
- The sequence can be shown to stay within the limit for an arbitrarily large number of iterations.

Usage: Commonly precedes adjectives like 'large', 'small', 'high', or 'low' to indicate a lack of fixed bounds.

## Examples

- The winners were chosen arbitrarily from the list of names.
- The teacher seemed to grade the essays arbitrarily, as there was no clear rubric for the students to follow.
- The dictator ruled the country by decree, often arresting citizens arbitrarily to maintain a climate of fear and prevent any organized opposition from forming.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.