capriciously
2
7.7
- adverb
- /kəˈprɪʃəsli/
:
caprichosamente
- Her mood changes capriciously, making it hard for others to predict how she will react.
- arbitrarily and capriciously
- act capriciously
Open, the twins of Chance and my sword, my untested blade, purchased years ago with a name I chose so capriciously.
- Open, the twins of Chance and my sword, my untested blade, purchased years ago with a name I chose so capriciously.
Examples
-
And here was Greg living his life so capriciously.
Fiction book (1995) -
Don't act capriciously, and don't make arbitrary decisions.
Academic text (2003) -
Some Singaporeans, however, claim that caning is administered capriciously and is sometimes used for political purposes.
Academic text (2003) -
No one expects the coordinating board to close programs arbitrarily or capriciously, and everyone expects such programs will be given a reasonable time to improve.
Academic text (2006) -
I didn't capriciously decide one day that religious indoctrination of children is abusive.
Blog text (24) -
The rules of the game seemed to change capriciously, leaving the players confused and frustrated.
-
The weather can be capriciously warm in spring, alternating between sunny days and sudden cold spells.
Synonyms
27
5.5
In a way that has no clear reason or plan
13
6.4
In a way that is not regular or easy to predict
4
4.8
In a way you cannot guess before it happens
In a way that is not steady and likely to move, change, or fall
Antonyms
How Unpredictable
Surface Forms
Morphology
capriciously = capricious (semi-transparent) = caprice + ous + ly
The adverb is formed regularly from the adjective 'capricious' with '-ly', and its meaning is directly predictable.
Etymology
Capriciously comes from the word caprice, which means a 'sudden change' of feeling, and one popular idea links it to an old Latin word capra meaning 'goat'. So, think of a goat's sudden jumps: to act capriciously is to behave in an unpredictable, quickly changing way.