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Depending on will or discretion; not governed by any fixed rules; as, an arbitrary decision; an arbitrary punishment. It was wholly arbitrary in them to do so. Jer. Taylor. Rank pretends to fix the value of every one, and is the most arbitrary of all things. Landor.

solute; the system or doctrine of the absolute; the principles or practice of absolute or arbitrary government; despotism. The element of absolutism and prelacy was controlling. Palfrey.

Of or pertaining to absolutism; arbitrary; despotic; as, absolutist principles.

To assess or reduce, as an arbitrary penalty or amercement, to a certain and reasonable sum. Amercements . . . were affeered by the judges. Blackstone.

inally, a fixed and certain sum prescribed by statue for an offense; but an amercement is arbitrary. Hence, the act or practice of affeering. [See Affeer.] Blackstone.

In an arbitrary manner; by will only; despotically; absolutely.

The quality of being arbitrary; despoticalness; tyranny. Bp. Hall.

Arbitrary; despotic. [Obs.] -- Ar`bi*tra"*ri*ous*ly, adv. [Obs.]

Of or pertaining to autocracy or to an autocrat; absolute; holding independent and arbitrary powers of government. -- Au`to*crat"ic*al*ly, adv.

species of compulsory contribution or tax, which has sometimes been illegally exacted by arbitrary kings of England, and falsely represented as a gratuity.

An official of a bureau; esp. an official confirmed in a narrow and arbitrary routine. C. Kingsley.

missive emanating from the sovereign; -- much used in France before the Revolution as an arbitrary order of imprisonment.

ure, length, volume, etc.; as, the coefficient of expansion; the coefficient of friction. Arbitrary coefficient (Math.), a literal coefficient placed arbitrarily in an algebraic, expression, the value of the coefficient being afterwards determined by the conditions of the problem.

To take arbitrary or forcible possession of. [Colloq.]

value is absolutely the same under all cirumstanes, as the number 10, or any numeral. -- Arbitrary constant, an undetermined constant in a differential equation having the same value during all changes in the values of the variables.

An irregular and arbitrary imposition or tax leved on the people of a town or country. These sums, . . . and the forced contributions paid by luckless peasants, enabled him to keep his straggling troops together. Motley.

General agreement or concurrence; arbitrary custom; usage; conventionality. There are thousands now Such women, but convention beats them down. Tennyson.

That which is received or established by convention or arbitrary agreement; that which is in accordance with the fashion, tradition, or usage. All the artifice and conventionalism of life. Hawthorne. They gaze on all with dead, dim eyes, -- wrapped in conventionalisms, . . . simulating feelings according to a received…

mprisonment. What pease will be given To us enslaved, but custody severe, And stripes and arbitrary punishment Milton.

he knot or the Gordian knot, to dispose of a difficulty summarily; to solve it by prompt, arbitrary action, rather than by skill or patience. -- To cut lots, to determine lots by cuttings cards; to draw lots. -- To cut off. (a) To sever; to separate. I would to God, . . . The king had cut off my brother's. Shak.…