Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
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noun
The quality or state of being arbitrary; the extent to which something is arbitrary.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
the trait of acting unpredictably and more from whim or caprice than from reason or judgment
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: flightiness, whimsicality, whimsy, whimsey, capriciousness
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: irresponsibility, irresponsibleness
History
Etymology tree Latin arbiter Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -ārius Latin arbitrāriusder. Middle English arbitrarie English arbitrary Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh2yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h2ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English arbitrariness From arbitrary + -ness.
Across languages
20 source translations are retained for this English entry.
