arbitrariness
Decisions without logic
Arbitrariness is the quality of being based on random choice or personal whim rather than reason or system.
A decision shows arbitrariness when it lacks clear justification: The arbitrariness of the dress code frustrated students.
The word often carries negative weight, suggesting unfairness or caprice: The arbitrariness of the sentencing shocked legal observers.
Uncertain possible event
- randomnessLack of predictable pattern
- indeterminacyLack of fixed outcome
- meaninglessnessLack of significance
- absurdityWildly illogical quality
existentialism · nihilism · chance · determinism · free will · necessity · groundlessness · inexplicability
Sudden arbitrary desire
- capriceUnpredictable urge or notion
- ficklenessLack of steadfast devotion
- unpredictabilityState resisting forecasts
- randomnessLack of predictable pattern
impulsivity · inconstancy · volatility · unreasonableness · irrationality · mercuriality · flightiness · changeability
Imaginatively unrealistic
- quirkyIdiosyncratically unusual
- playfulInclined toward fun
- eccentricUnconventional in character
- whimsyPlayful, capricious quality
lighthearted · zany · impulsive · frolicsome · caprice · droll · frivolous · levity
Violation of fundamental law
- due processGuaranteed judicial fairness
- judicial reviewCourts invalidating unconstitutional acts
- reasonablenessQuality of being fair-minded
- rule of lawSupremacy of established laws
administrative law · tyranny · despotism · absolutism · autocracy · injustice · lawlessness · overreach
Agreed standard of behavior
- signMark conveying information
- signifierMeaning-bearing form
- unmotivatedLacking incentive or drive
- symbolicRepresenting through signs
referent · onomatopoeia · language system · phoneme · morpheme · semantic · structural
contingency
Uncertain possible event
- randomnessLack of predictable pattern
- indeterminacyLack of fixed outcome
- meaninglessnessLack of significance
absurdity · existentialism · nihilism · chance · determinism · free will · necessity · groundlessness · inexplicability · Camus
whim
Sudden arbitrary desire
- capriceUnpredictable urge or notion
- ficklenessLack of steadfast devotion
- unpredictabilityState resisting forecasts
randomness · impulsivity · inconstancy · volatility · unreasonableness · irrationality · mercuriality · flightiness · changeability · temperamental
fanciful
Imaginatively unrealistic
whimsy · lighthearted · zany · impulsive · frolicsome · caprice · droll · frivolous · levity · flippant
unconstitutionality
Violation of fundamental law
- due processGuaranteed judicial fairness
- judicial reviewCourts invalidating unconstitutional acts
- reasonablenessQuality of being fair-minded
rule of law · administrative law · tyranny · despotism · absolutism · autocracy · injustice · lawlessness · overreach
convention
Agreed standard of behavior
- signMark conveying information
- signifierMeaning-bearing form
- unmotivatedLacking incentive or drive
symbolic · referent · onomatopoeia · language system · phoneme · morpheme · semantic · structural
- semioticssign, signifier, signified, symbol, signification
- Saussurean linguisticslangue, parole, signifier, signified, synchronic
arbitrarinessregularity
Consistent, predictable occurrence
consistency · uniformity · orderliness · structure · pattern
arbitrarinesspredictability
Capacity to be anticipated
consistency · reliability · regularity · stability · certainty
arbitrarinessreasonableness
Quality of being fair-minded
rationality · objectivity · justifiability · justification · logic
arbitrary, arbiter, arbitration, arbitrate, arbitrator, arbitrarily, arbiters, arbitrated, arbitrage