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English Lexicon

Arbitrariness

/ˈɑːr.bə.trɪ.nəs/
nounCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #15400 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    The quality of being based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system.

    "The perceived arbitrariness of the new tax regulations caused widespread frustration among business owners."
  2. 2

    In linguistics, the absence of any natural or necessary connection between a word's meaning and its sound or form.

    "Ferdinand de Saussure emphasized the fundamental arbitrariness of the linguistic sign."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the Latin 'arbitrarius' meaning 'dependent on will' or 'uncertain', stemming from 'arbiter' (judge or supreme ruler). The suffix '-ness' was added in Middle/Early Modern English to form an abstract noun representing the quality of being based on random choice or personal whim rather than any reason or system.

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Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

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