arbitrarily

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The travel advisory issued last week says visitors may be arbitrarily denied entry to the country, detained in “inhumane” conditions or subjected to invasive phone and social media searches.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

Youth worker Shaun Thompson and Silkie Carlo, from campaign group Big Brother Watch, brought the claim over concerns that facial recognition could be used arbitrarily or in a discriminatory way.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

More importantly, Joseph seemed convinced that the FDA had acted arbitrarily and capriciously in lifting the in-person dispensation requirement.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

Coyle, from Colorado, was arrested in January 2025, according to the Foley Foundation, which advocates for the release of Americans taken hostage or arbitrarily detained abroad.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

What we need is a form of hindsight that does not impose itself arbitrarily on the mentality of the revolutionary generation, does not presume that we are witnessing the birth of an inevitable American superpower.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis