arbitrary
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He called his arrest an "arbitrary, capricious prosecution".
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026
It was established as a safeguard against arbitrary and unlawful imprisonment, so if a judge finds the government’s reasoning insufficient, they hold the power to immediately order the prisoner’s release with sufficient legal grounds.
From Slate • Jun. 18, 2026
The complaint was filed on behalf of 14 deportees, some of whom are currently held in Equatorial Guinea under conditions "amounting to arbitrary and indefinite detention", according to the lawsuit, seen by AFP.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
All this variance and randomness, all these rules on top of regulations, none of it is exactly arbitrary, but neither is it fair.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
Such behavior, the journal said, “would be called treason in countries less enlightened and more arbitrary than ours.”
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Vocabulary lists containing arbitrary
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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The Declaration of Independence
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