as in volatility
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Recent Examples of arbitrariness
In an effort to construct a system of law that could prevent arbitrary outcomes, the court ended up making room for plenty of arbitrariness in who was allowed to live and who was sentenced to die.
—
Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
The sense of arbitrariness that had previously bewildered and frustrated me was drowned out by excitement and sheer aesthetic pleasure.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2025
As algorithms replace human deciders, HAI-EIS fellow Kathleen Creel argues arbitrariness at scale is morally and legally problematic.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Mar. 2021
Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
The sense of arbitrariness that had previously bewildered and frustrated me was drowned out by excitement and sheer aesthetic pleasure.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2025
As algorithms replace human deciders, HAI-EIS fellow Kathleen Creel argues arbitrariness at scale is morally and legally problematic.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Mar. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arbitrariness
Noun
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More surprisingly, strategies typically seen as beneficiaries of volatility have also struggled.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
18 Mar. 2026
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Parkes and editor Lilly Wild imbue the proceedings with an emotional volatility, as composer Oliver Lewin’s mischievous music dances across your skin.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Newsom explains his fickleness differently.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
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The fickleness of decisions relieved some and cursed others.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
23 Dec. 2025
Noun
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With the exception of the central character played by Judy Greer, all the figures onscreen display the sort of eccentricities that are presumably meant to be either amusing or endearing but instead simply come across as odd.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Mar. 2026
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Watch young John Early, Kate Berlant, and Cole Escola re-create a scene from the film in intricate detail and see camp interpretation at its finest — comedians using Showgirls’s eccentricities to unearth something delicious.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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As an example of this irregularity, between 2000 and 2099, there will be 25 leap days, including the starting year, but in the following three centuries, there will only be 24 leap days.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
13 Mar. 2026
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Zellige tile has long been a favorite of designers thanks to its natural irregularity, which lends a stunning depth to kitchens.—
Shagun Khare,
Martha Stewart,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Scientific and engineering advances don't do well in the face of such wild swings and inconstancy.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
18 Aug. 2025
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Europeans, awakened to the danger of American inconstancy, are scrambling to spend trillions more on defense in coming years.—
Adam Rasmi,
Time,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arbitrariness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arbitrariness. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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