What does it mean when something is arbitrary

What is an arbitrary example?

Arbitrary is defined as something that is determined by judgment or whim and not for any specific reason or rule. An example of an arbitrary decision would be a decision to go to the beach, just because you feel like it. … Young children and their arbitrary rules for games.

What is an arbitrary person?

arbitrary Add to list Share. … Calling a decision-maker arbitrary is usually a negative thing, suggesting the person is making rules based on whim rather than justice. A coach who selects starting players arbitrarily isn’t strictly applying a rule; he could just be picking names out of a hat.

What does it mean for a law to be arbitrary?

1. When used in reference to a judge’s ruling in a court case, arbitrary means based on individual discretion rather than a fair application of the law. … As a result, a judge cannot act in disregard of the evidence or ignore established precedent. Such disregard would be arbitrary.

Is arbitrary unfair?

If you describe an action, rule, or decision as arbitrary, you think that it is not based on any principle, plan, or system. It often seems unfair because of this.

Is arbitrary the same as random?

To summarize, for those who need to explain this to others: Arbitrary describes a decision-making process in which the choice simply doesn’t matter or is made on a whim. Random, on the other hand, describes a decision-making process as well, but one in which every possible option is given equal weight.

What is an arbitrary action?

The term arbitrary describes a course of action or a decision that is not based on reason or judgment but on personal will or discretion without regard to rules or standards. …

What’s another word for arbitrarily?

In this page you can discover 106 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for arbitrary, like: unpredictable, absolute, inconsistent, reasonable, unscientific, consistent, irresponsible, supercilious, whimsical, wayward and offhand.

How do you speak arbitrary?

What is the opposite of arbitrarily?

Adjective. ▲ Opposite of exercising power in a cruel or arbitrary way. democratic.

What does the word arbitrary mean in the Bible?

? Elementary Level. adjective. subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one’s discretion: an arbitrary decision.

Why is language arbitrary?

Language is arbitrary because of the lack of a natural relationship between the signifier (language form) and the signified (referent). Words and other forms have meaning only as parts of a system, with each form deriving meaning solely from its difference from the other forms in the system.

Are Symbols arbitrary?

Symbols are arbitrary representations of thoughts, ideas, emotions, objects, or actions used to encode and decode meaning (Nelson & Shaw, 2002). Symbols stand for or represent, something else.

Can God be arbitrary?

By doing so, as Cudworth states it, “God is a mere arbitrary will omnipotent” (ibid, Preface). That is, God is his all-powerful and arbitrary will. The direct result of this is that God arbitrarily selects some actions as good, and others as bad.

What is an arbitrary power?

The authority to act in any manner that a person sees fit to do. TLD Example: Laws place constraints on a person’s arbitrary power to do as he or she wishes without consideration for the harm it could do to others.

What is arbitrary decision making?

Arbitrariness is the quality of being “determined by chance, whim, or impulse, and not by necessity, reason, or principle”. It is also used to refer to a choice made without any specific criterion or restraint. Arbitrary decisions are not necessarily the same as random decisions.