arbitrary
/ˈɑɹ.bɪ.tɹɛ(ə).ɹi/adjective
Decided by personal whim or chance rather than by any objective reason or system.
Example sentences
- “The seating order was completely arbitrary.”
- “Pick an arbitrary number between one and a hundred.”
In loose talk it means random, but its serious sense involves unchecked power: arbitrary arrests, arbitrary rules. Stronger than it sounds.