arbitrarily
Meaning: Based on random choice or personal whim rather than any established reason, principle, or system of rules.
Arbitrarily implies an absence of justification or fairness. In legal and political contexts, it is a serious accusation — an arbitrarily imposed rule lacks legitimate basis. In mathematics and computer science, it has a neutral technical sense meaning 'for any value' (an arbitrarily large number). In everyday usage, it suggests capriciousness or authoritarianism. Common collocates include 'impose,' 'set,' 'choose,' 'detain,' and 'assign.'
Examples
- The deadline was set arbitrarily and bears no relation to the actual complexity of the task. 截止日期是随意设定的,与任务的实际复杂程度毫无关系。El plazo se fijó de forma arbitraria y no guarda relación alguna con la complejidad real de la tarea.期限は恣意的に設定されたものであり、課題の実際の複雑さとは何の関係もない。마감 기한은 자의적으로 설정된 것으로, 실제 과제의 복잡성과는 아무런 관련이 없다.
- Human rights organisations condemned the regime for arbitrarily detaining journalists and activists. 人权组织谴责该政权随意拘留记者和活动人士。Las organizaciones de derechos humanos condenaron al régimen por detener arbitrariamente a periodistas y activistas.人権団体は、同政権がジャーナリストや活動家を恣意的に拘束していると非難した。인권 단체들은 해당 정권이 언론인과 활동가를 자의적으로 구금하고 있다고 비난했다.
- Funding was allocated arbitrarily, with no transparent criteria for how decisions were made. 资金被随意分配,决策过程缺乏任何透明的标准。La financiación se asignó de manera arbitraria, sin criterios transparentes sobre cómo se tomaron las decisiones.資金は恣意的に配分され、どのように決定が下されたかについて透明な基準はなかった。자금은 자의적으로 배분되었으며, 결정이 어떻게 내려졌는지에 대한 투명한 기준은 없었다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: legal, politics, academic
Tone: critical
Origin & History
From Latin arbitrarius (depending on the will), from arbiter (judge, witness). The English form emerged in the 17th century, initially in legal writing about unreasonable exercises of authority.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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