arbitrary
based on whim rather than reason
Root
- arbitr: judge, decide, or act as arbiter
Other words with the arbitr root
- arbiter: person with authority to judge or decide
- arbitrate: to settle a dispute as a neutral judge
- arbitration: settlement of a dispute by an arbiter
Arbitrary once sits near judgment, but in modern use it means decided without a good reason.
The cutoff felt arbitrary to students who missed it by one point.
Arbitrary is a caution word: a decision can have authority and still feel unreasoned. Keep the judgment idea, then notice the modern drift toward whim.