Etymology

arbitrary

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Today it means: Based on individual discretion or judgment; not based on any objective distinction, perhaps even made at random. Full definition →

Middle English arbitrarie ← Latin arbitrārius
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The story

  1. Latinarbiter
  2. Latinarbitrārius
  3. Middle Englisharbitrarie
  4. English todayarbitrary

From Middle English arbitrarie, Latin arbitrārius (“arbitrary, uncertain”), from arbiter (“witness, on-looker, listener, judge, overseer”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.