arbitrary: [15] Arbitrary comes ultimately from Latin arbiter ‘judge’, via the derived adjective arbitrārius. It originally meant ‘decided by one’s own discretion or judgment’, and has since broadened, and ‘worsened’, in meaning to ‘capricious’. The Latin noun has of course contributed a large number of other words to English, including arbiter [15] itself, arbitrate [16] (via the Latin verb arbitrārī), and arbitrament [14]. Arbitrage in the sense ‘buying and selling shares to make a profit’ is a 19thcentury borrowing from French, where it means literally ‘arbitration’. => arbitrate
arbitrary (adj.)
early 15c., "deciding by one's own discretion," from Old French arbitraire (14c.) or directly from Latin arbitrarius "depending on the will, uncertain," from arbiter (see arbiter). The original meaning gradually descended to "capricious" and "despotic" (1640s). Related: Arbitrarily; arbitrariness.
雙語例句
1. The choice of players for the team seemed completely arbitrary.
看來這個隊的隊員完全是隨意選定的。
來自《權威詞典》
2. A good judge does not make arbitrary decisions.
一個優(yōu)秀的法官不會作武斷的判決.
來自《簡明英漢詞典》
3. You can make an arbitrary choice.
你可以隨便做選擇.
來自《簡明英漢詞典》
4. He makes unpredictable, arbitrary decisions.
他做的決定難以預料, 主觀武斷.
來自《簡明英漢詞典》
5. Arbitrary arrests and detention without trial were common.