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• a  based on or subject to individual discretion or preference or sometimes impulse or caprice
  an arbitrary decision
  the arbitrary rule of a dictator
  an arbitrary penalty
  of arbitrary size and shape
  an arbitrary choice
  arbitrary division of the group into halves

• The military court meted out a highly arbitrary punishment to the accused.
• Mathematical statements in such systems were, it then became apparent, merely precisely structured patterns made up of arbitrary symbols.
• Of all the things that shape who we are, few seem more arbitrary than the sequence in which we and our siblings pop out of the womb.

• nonarbitrary

News & Articles

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• Budget slashing hits most vulnerable - Sun, 16 Jun 2013 PST
  The first warnings about the spending cuts were dire. In March, as the sweeping $85 billion reductions known as sequestration kicked in, President Barack Obama called them “stupid” and “arbitrary” ...
  June 16, 2013 - The Spokesman-Review
• Sequester cuts hit poor, elderly, cancer patients
  In March, as the sweeping $85 billion reductions known as sequestration kicked in, President Barack Obama called them "stupid" and "arbitrary" and said they could thwart economic progress.
  June 15, 2013 - KOMO Seattle
• Microsoft patches critical vulnerability in Office 2011 for Mac
  The latest update closes a hole that could allow arbitrary execution of code on an affected system. Originally posted at MacFixIt
  June 12, 2013 - CNET

Quotes

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• President Bush in Dallas Morning News
  As a result, we removed the arbitrary timetables for withdrawal and the restrictions on our military commanders that some in Congress had supported,Mr. Bush said, adding that the bill "reflects a consensus that the Iraqi government needs...
• Vice President Dick Cheney in USA Today
  When members speak not of victory but of time limits, deadlines and other arbitrary measures, they are telling the enemy simply to watch the clock and wait us out,Cheney said in a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
• John McCain in ABC News
  The lasting advantage of a peaceful and democratic ally in the heart of the Middle East could still be squandered by hasty withdrawal and arbitrary timelines,McCain said in Las Vegas. "And this is one of many problems in the shifting...