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arbitrary - 20 thesaurus results
| Main Entry: | arbitrary |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | whimsical, chance |
| Synonyms: | approximate, capricious, discretionary, erratic, fanciful, frivolous, inconsistent, injudicious, irrational, irresponsible, offhand, optional, random, subjective, supercilious, superficial, unaccountable, unreasonable, unscientific, wayward, willful |
| Antonyms: | circumspect, rational, reasonable, supported, reasoned |
| Main Entry: | arbitrary |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | dictatorial |
| Synonyms: | absolute, autocratic, bossy, despotic, dogmatic, domineering, downright, flat out*, high-handed, imperious, magisterial, overbearing, peremptory, summary, tyrannical, monocratic, no ifs ands or buts, no joke, straight out, tyrannous |
| Antonyms: | democratic |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | autocratic |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | holding power exclusively |
| Synonyms: | absolute, arbitrary, bossy, despotic, dictatorial, domineering, driving, imperious, pushing, tyrannical, all-powerful, czarlike, monocratic, tyrannous |
| Antonyms: | democratic |
| Main Entry: | capricious |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | given to sudden behavior change |
| Synonyms: | arbitrary, careless, contrary, crotchety, effervescent, erratic, every which way*, fanciful, fickle, fitful, flaky*, flighty, freakish, helter-skelter*, impulsive, inconstant, kinky*, mercurial, moody, mutable, odd, picky*, punchy*, queer, quirky, temperamental, ticklish, unpredictable, unreasonable, unstable, variable, volatile, wayward, whimsical, any way the wind blows, blowing hot and cold, changeful, gaga, humorsome, lubricious, notional, up and down, vagarious, yo-yo |
| Antonyms: | constant, dependable, sensible, staid, steadfast, steady |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | dictatorial |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | tyrannical, authoritarian |
| Synonyms: | absolute, arbitrary, arrogant, autocratic, bossy, clamorous, despotic, doctrinaire, dogmatic, domineering, egotistic, firm, haughty, imperative, imperious, oppressive, overbearing, peremptory, pompous, proud, stern, totalitarian, unlimited, unrestricted, crack-the-whip, dictative, iron-handed, throwing weight around |
| Antonyms: | democratic, docile, passive |
| Main Entry: | erratic |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | unpredictable; wandering |
| Synonyms: | aberrant, abnormal, anomalous, arbitrary, bizarre, capricious, changeable, desultory, devious, dicey, dubious, eccentric, fitful, flaky*, idiosyncratic, iffy*, incalculable, inconsistent, inconstant, irregular, meandering, mercurial, nomadic, oddball*, peculiar, planetary, rambling, roving, spasmodic, strange, stray, uncertain, unnatural, unreliable, unstable, unusual, variable, volatile, wayward, weird, whimsical, directionless, fluctuant, shifting, undirected, vagarious |
| Antonyms: | certain, consistent, definite, dependable, predictable, regular, reliable, steady, sure, unchanging |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | fickle |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | vacillating, blowing hot and cold |
| Synonyms: | arbitrary, capricious, changeable, cheating, faithless, fitful, flighty, frivolous, inconstant, irresolute, mercurial, mutable, temperamental, ticklish, two-timing, unfaithful, unpredictable, unstable, unsteady, untrue, variable, volatile, whimsical, coquettish, double-crossing, lubricious, quicksilver, sneaking, yo-yo |
| Antonyms: | aware, cognizant, constant, faithful, reliable, stable, steady |
| Main Entry: | fortuitous |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | lucky, accidental |
| Synonyms: | arbitrary, casual, chance, contingent, fluke*, fluky*, fortunate, haphazard, happy, incidental, odd, random, unforeseen, unplanned, luck in, luck out, lucky-dog, providential, serendipitous |
| Notes: | accidental stresses chance; fortuitous so strongly suggests chance that it often connotes absence of cause aleatory refers to the present or future while fortuitous is more about past events fortunate means having unexpected good fortune or luck; fortuitous means happening by chance or coming or occurring by accident or without any known cause |
| Antonyms: | calculated, deliberate, intentional, planned, unlucky, designed |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | freakish |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | abnormal, unusual |
| Synonyms: | aberrant, arbitrary, bizarre, capricious, crazy, erratic, fantastic, far-out, grotesque, malformed, monstrous, odd, outlandish, preternatural, queer, strange, unconventional, wayward, weird, whimsical, wild, freaky, outré, vagarious |
| Antonyms: | common, general, natural, normal, ordinary, standard, usual |
| Main Entry: | haphazard |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | without plan or organization |
| Synonyms: | accidental, aimless, any which way, arbitrary, careless, casual, chance, desultory, devil-may-care*, disorderly, disorganized, erratic, fluke, helter-skelter*, hit-or-miss*, incidental, indiscriminate, irregular, loose, offhand, purposeless, random, reckless, slapdash, slipshod, spontaneous, sudden, unconcerned, unconscious, uncoordinated, unexpected, unorganized, unpremeditated, unthinking, willy-nilly*, all over the map, any old way, designless, unconsidered, unmethodical, unsystematic |
| Antonyms: | careful, intentional, methodical, organized, planned, straight, systematic, designed, thought-out |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | hit-or-miss |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | random |
| Synonyms: | accidental, aimless, arbitrary, casual, chance, contingent, fluky, fortuitous, haphazard, incidental, irregular, slipshod, unplanned, unpremeditated, trial-and error |
| Main Entry: | inequitable |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | unfair |
| Synonyms: | arbitrary, biased, discriminatory, one-sided, partial, partisan, prejudiced, unbalanced, unequal, unethical, uneven, unjust |
| Main Entry: | opinionated |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | believing very strongly and conveying it |
| Synonyms: | adamant, arbitrary, assertive, biased, bigoted, bossy, bullheaded*, cocksure*, cocky*, conceited, dictatorial, doctrinaire, dogmatic, hard-line*, high-handed, inflexible, intransigent, obdurate, obstinate, one-sided, oracular, overbearing, pigheaded*, positive, pragmatic, prejudiced, self-assertive, single-minded, stubborn, uncompromising, unyielding, locked in, pragmatical, set in stone, set-on, tilted, weighted |
| Antonyms: | indifferent, open-minded, compromising |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | optional |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | possible; available as choice |
| Synonyms: | alternative, arbitrary, discretionary, elective, extra, free, open, unrestricted, volitional, voluntary, discretional, facultative, no strings attached, noncompulsory, nonobligatory, not required, unforced, up to the individual |
| Antonyms: | compulsory, forced, required |
| Main Entry: | peremptory |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | overbearing, authoritative |
| Synonyms: | absolute, arbitrary, assertive, autocratic, binding, bossy, categorical, certain, commanding, compelling, decided, decisive, dictatorial, dogmatic, domineering, final, finished, firm, fixed, high-handed, imperative, imperial, imperious, incontrovertible, intolerant, irrefutable, magisterial, obligatory, obstinate, positive, rigorous, severe, stringent, tyrannical, uncompromising, undeniable |
| Antonyms: | indulgent, laid-back, lax, lenient, mild, moderate, easy-going |
| Main Entry: | predominant |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | ruling; most important |
| Synonyms: | absolute, almighty, arbitrary, authoritative, capital, chief, controlling, dominant, dominating, effective, efficacious, governing, imperious, influential, leading, main, mighty, official, omnipotent, overbearing, overpowering, paramount, potent, predominate, preponderant, prevailing, prevalent, primary, prime, principal, prominent, reigning, sovereign, superior, superlative, supreme, transcendent, weighty, all-powerful, ascendant, directing, holding the reins, supervisory, surpassing |
| Antonyms: | inconsequential, minor, trivial, unimportant |
| Main Entry: | random |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | haphazard, chance |
| Synonyms: | accidental, adventitious, aimless, arbitrary, casual, contingent, desultory, fluky, fortuitous, hit-or-miss*, incidental, indiscriminate, irregular, odd, promiscuous, purposeless, slapdash*, spot, stray, unplanned, unpremeditated, designless, driftless, objectless, unaimed, unconsidered |
| Antonyms: | definite, methodical, particular, specific, systematic |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | summary |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | concise, to the point |
| Synonyms: | arbitrary, brief, compact, compendious, condensed, cursory, curt, hasty, laconic, perfunctory, pithy*, run-down, short, short and sweet*, succinct, terse, boiled down, breviloquent, compacted, compendiary, in a nutshell, recapped, rehashed, run-through |
| Antonyms: | lengthy, long, long-winded, unabridged, wordy |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | undisputed/undisputable |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | positive, accepted |
| Synonyms: | acknowledged, arbitrary, assured, authoritative, certain, conclusive, decided, dogmatic, final, incontrovertible, indisputable, indubitable, irrefutable, recognized, sure, undeniable, undoubted, unequivocal, unerring, admitted, beyond question, incontestable, not disputed, tyrannous, unchallenged, uncontested, unquestioned |
| Antonyms: | disputable, doubtful, dubious, negative, uncertain, unsure, disputed |
| Main Entry: | unfair |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | prejudiced, wrongful |
| Synonyms: | arbitrary, bad, base, biased, bigoted, blameworthy, cheating, criminal, crooked, cruel, culpable, discriminatory, dishonest, dishonorable, foul, grievous, illegal, immoral, improper, inequitable, inexcusable, iniquitous, injurious, low, mean, one-sided, partial, partisan, petty, shameful, shameless, uncalled-for, undue, unethical, unjust, unjustifiable, unlawful, unprincipled, unreasonable, unscrupulous, unwarranted, vicious, vile, wicked, wrong, discreditable, unrightful, unsporting |
| Antonyms: | fair, honest, just, unprejudiced |
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
