Standard Lemma guide

capriciousness

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

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

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The quality of being capricious.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the trait of acting unpredictably and more from whim or caprice than from reason or judgment

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • I despair at the flightiness and whimsicality of my memory

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: flightiness, arbitrariness, whimsicality, whimsy, whimsey

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: irresponsibility, irresponsibleness

3

noun

Meaning 3

the quality of being guided by sudden unpredictable impulses

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unpredictability

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: inconstancy, changefulness

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English capricious 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 capriciousness From capricious + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Spanish: caprichosidad — Translations
  • Swedish: nyckfullhet — Translations
  • Swedish: oberäknelighet — Translations
  • Swedish: oförutsägbarhet — Translations
  • Turkish: hercailik — Translations