arbitrarily

American  

[ahr-bi-trair-uh-lee] / ˌɑr bɪˈtrɛər ə li /

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 Word Forms

• nonarbitrarily adverb
• unarbitrarily adverb

Etymology

Origin of arbitrarily

arbitrary ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

Something said or done arbitrarily is done randomly or without much thought — like when you arbitrarily eat whatever happens to be on the buffet table at your cousin's wedding. The adverb arbitrarily describes something that's done haphazardly, based on random chance or on your own whim of the moment. If you go to a movie and know nothing about anything that's playing, you might arbitrarily choose one — based on the titles, the look of the posters, or on nothing at all. When there's not much reason behind your actions, they're done arbitrarily.

Example Sentences

More importantly, Joseph seemed convinced that the FDA had acted arbitrarily and capriciously in lifting the in-person dispensation requirement.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

The company added the charges are not "increased arbitrarily".

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

Coyle, from Colorado, was arrested in January 2025, according to the Foley Foundation, which advocates for the release of Americans taken hostage or arbitrarily detained abroad.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

Neither you nor your sibling, acting alone as a beneficiary — or even as a co-trustee — can arbitrarily retitle land that has been properly placed in a trust.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 30, 2026

As a result, he said, he was arbitrarily dropping all of our classifications by one notch.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• forthwith
• promptly
• swiftly