What does arbitrariness mean?
Arbitrariness is the quality of being determined by chance, personal whim, or unsupported judgment rather than by reason, principle, or consistent rule. When we describe a decision as arbitrary, we imply it could just as easily have been otherwise — that no defensible justification underlies it. The word carries strongly negative connotations in discussions of governance and law, where arbitrariness suggests unfair treatment, inconsistency, or the abuse of power by those unbound by accountability. Yet in academic fields such as linguistics and philosophy, arbitrariness is a neutral technical term: linguists, following Ferdinand de Saussure, speak of the arbitrariness of the linguistic sign, meaning that the link between a word and what it represents is conventional rather than natural. Derived from the Latin arbiter, meaning judge, the noun entered English alongside its parent adjective 'arbitrary' in the early modern period. It remains a valuable term for critiquing inconsistency and for describing conventions that rest on agreement alone.
nounThe quality of being based on random choice or personal whim rather than any reason, system, or principle; the exercise of power or decision-making in an unpredictable or unjustified manner.
- The quality of decisions, rules, or actions being based on chance or personal whim rather than reason or principle.
- The unjust or tyrannical exercise of power, especially by authorities acting without accountability or consistent standards.
"Employees grew resentful of the manager's arbitrariness, never knowing which rules would be enforced from one day to the next."
"Critics argued that the new tax showed pure arbitrariness, singling out one industry without any clear rationale."
"In literature classes, students discussed how the arbitrariness of language signs was central to Saussure's theory of semiotics."
Rarely pluralized; the singular form is almost always used even when referring to multiple instances, which are typically described with phrases like 'acts of arbitrariness' instead.
"The report catalogued numerous arbitrarinesses in the agency's enforcement practices."
The word traces back to Latin 'arbiter' — a judge or witness — so every time you call a rule arbitrary, you're invoking an ancient Roman courtroom.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of arbitrariness
Arbitrariness derives from the adjective 'arbitrary', which entered English in the early 15th century from Latin arbitrarius, meaning 'depending on the judgment of an arbiter'. The ultimate root is the Latin noun arbiter, denoting a judge or witness who renders a decision. The noun form 'arbitrariness' developed in English during the early modern period as an abstract quality noun built on the adjective. It shares this Latin lineage with related terms such as arbitration, arbitrate, and arbiter itself.
Related word forms
How arbitrariness is actually used
Largely formal or neutral in register, 'arbitrariness' often carries negative connotations when applied to human decisions, implying unfairness or lack of due process. In academic contexts — particularly linguistics and philosophy — it is used neutrally to describe conventional or non-necessary relationships, such as the arbitrariness of the sign.
Easily confused with arbitrariness
'Arbitrary' is the adjective describing something based on whim or chance, while 'arbitrariness' is the noun denoting that quality itself.