What ARBITRARY Means – ARBITRARY in a Sentence

By combining pictures with sentence examples, it will be easy to remember the definition and what ARBITRARY means and how to use it naturally in various contexts.

This video provides 3 illustrated examples. Take a moment to look at the picture, then listen and read the sentence example. Then make sure you understand the sentence. Look up in a dictionary any other words you do not understand.

At the end of the video, common collocations are listed in which the word ARBITRARY is often found. You will also find a list of common synonyms.

Here is a transcript of the video: “What ARBITRARY Means – ARBITRARY in a Sentence”

Slide 2:
The word ARBITRARY is an adjective
It’s pronounced:
ARE◦bi◦trer◦ee
Definition:
1. based on random chance, or a whim,
rather than any reason, or consistent principle or system
2. not based on law but an autocratic use of power

The clipart shows a dictator giving orders.

Slide 3:
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Let’s consider 3 illustrated sentence examples for the word ARBITRARY. Then later in the video we will learn a number of synonyms, and finally a group of common collocations. This section will really help your English fluency.

Slide 4:
The picture shows the Twitter logo with a ‘Censored’ stamp underneath.

Sentence example: In recent years, social media platform Twitter has been accused of imposing arbitrary censorship on some messages and accounts.

In other words, Twitter has been criticized for censoring some messages and accounts without a stable policy, such decisions appearing to be inconsistent.

Slide 5:
We see a profile picture of Pol Pot, a Cambodian revolutionary and politician.

Sentence example: Pol Pot’s arbitrary rule in Cambodia from 1976 to 1979, resulted in the death of between 1.5 and 2 million people, approximately a quarter of Cambodia’s population.

Here the word arbitrary is used to describe Pol Pot’s autocratic use of power based on his own beliefs rather than law.

Slide 6:
The picture shows a tense situation between an employer and his employee.

Sentence example: As an employee she found it very difficult to follow his arbitrary rules.

In other words, the employer’s method of management seemed to be based on his personal whims rather than any consistent policy, which the employee found difficult to work with.

Slide 7:
So remember, ARBITRARY means:
1. based on random chance, or a whim,
rather than any reason, or consistent principle or system
2. not based on law but an autocratic use of power

Synonyms include:
discretionary
erratic
random
autocratic
chance

Slide 8:
Common collocations include:

arbitrary rule
arbitrary decision
arbitrary amount
arbitrary choice
arbitrary arrests

Slide 9:
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Slide 10:
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Now you understand clearly what ARBITRARY means, and you have seen it in a sentence, check other words in The Illustrated Dictionary such as:
The Meaning of FASHIONABLE – FASHIONABLE in a Sentence

Image Credits

Slide 4 – Twitter logo
Fair Use
Censored
Public Domain
https://www.clipartmax.com/so/censorship/

Slide 5 – Pol Pot
Public Domain
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pol_Pot.jpg

Slide 6 – Employer-employee
Free Stock photos by Vecteezy
https://www.vecteezy.com/free-photos

Regarding the use of illustrations and photographs used in this video:

Fair Use
Section 107 of the Copyright Act provides the statutory framework for determining whether something is a fair use and identifies certain types of uses—such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research—as examples of activities that may qualify as fair use.
https://copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.html

Public Domain
Public domain works are not restricted by copyright and do not require a license or fee to use. Public domain status allows the user unrestricted access and unlimited creativity. These are typically very old works.

Royalty Free
The image may be used for almost any business, personal, educational or charitable purpose as long as a credit is published to the creator of the image.