# arbitrary

/ˈɑɹbəˌtɹɛɹi/ (US) · /ˈɑːbɪtɹəɹi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/arbitrary
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. random or without reason

adjective · CEFR C1 · Academic

based on a random choice or a personal whim rather than a logical reason.

For teachers: determined by individual discretion or chance rather than by any objective necessity or consistent system.

- The choice of players for the team seemed completely arbitrary to the fans.
- The committee's decision to reject the proposal appeared entirely arbitrary, as they failed to provide any clear criteria for their judgment.

### 2. unfair use of power

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

using power in an unfair way without considering what is right.

For teachers: describing the exercise of power or authority without restraint and regardless of justice or the law.

- The citizens protested against the arbitrary arrests made by the secret police.
- The new regulations were criticized as an arbitrary exercise of ministerial power that bypassed the usual parliamentary oversight.

### 3. linguistic convention

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical · Academic

describing how words have no natural connection to the things they represent.

For teachers: referring to the lack of a natural or intrinsic connection between a linguistic signifier and its meaning.

- The word 'tree' is arbitrary because there is no physical reason why those sounds mean that plant.
- Saussure argued that the relationship between the signifier and the signified is fundamentally arbitrary, governed only by social convention.

### 4. mathematical value

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical · Academic

representing any value you choose to pick.

For teachers: referring to a value or constant that is not specifically determined but can be any member of a set.

- Let x be an arbitrary integer in the following equation.
- The proof holds true for an arbitrary value of n, provided that n is a positive real number.

## Examples

- The teacher's grading system seems completely arbitrary.
- Management set an arbitrary deadline of Friday afternoon, even though the project requires at least another week of testing.
- Critics argued that the border was an arbitrary line drawn by colonial powers, ignoring the historical and cultural realities of the indigenous populations living in the region.

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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.