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# arbitrary

adjective (arbitrary; more arbitrary)

«arbitrary» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Arbitrary means chosen by chance or by someone's wish, not for a good reason or rule. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/arbitrary/#m1)
2. (maths) An arbitrary number is any number you pick, used to show a rule works for all. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/arbitrary/#m2)
3. Unfair power used without rules: an arbitrary punishment. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/arbitrary/#m3)

### In the lessons

In maths: «take an arbitrary point», «an arbitrary whole number»; in ethics and fairness: arbitrary rules feel unjust; in everyday talk for random choices.

### Examples

- The order of the names was arbitrary. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/arbitrary/#x1)
- Pick an arbitrary number and double it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/arbitrary/#x2)
- The rule seemed arbitrary to the pupils. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/arbitrary/#x3)
- It was an arbitrary punishment with no warning. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/arbitrary/#x4)
- The starting point on the line is arbitrary. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/arbitrary/#x5)
- Giving prizes by height is arbitrary. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/arbitrary/#x6)

### Note

Pronounced AR-bi-tra-ry (UK often AR-bi-tree). In maths «arbitrary» means «any one, whichever you choose», so a fact shown for an arbitrary number is true for all of them. Adverb: arbitrarily.

## In Jewish tradition

In maths: «take an arbitrary point», «an arbitrary whole number»; in ethics and fairness: arbitrary rules feel unjust; in everyday talk for random choices.

### Examples

- All the other commentaries mentioned above, together with all quotations of other expounders of the same book, contain nothing but a medley of arbitrary, mystical explanations and sophistical distortions of scriptural verses, astrological notions, oriental (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/A/arbitrary/#x1)

### Note

Pronounced AR-bi-tra-ry (UK often AR-bi-tree). In maths «arbitrary» means «any one, whichever you choose», so a fact shown for an arbitrary number is true for all of them. Adverb: arbitrarily.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «arbitrary» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/arbitrary/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«arbitrary» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/arbitrary.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «arbitrary» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/A/arbitrary/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«arbitrary» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/arbitrary.html) on Mova free.