capriciousness
- noun
- /kəˈprɪʃəsnəs/
- Isolated on these farms, workers were subject to the goodwill or capriciousness of their employers.
So, you know, maybe our, our freedom actually lies to some degree in that capriciousness.
- So, you know, maybe our, our freedom actually lies to some degree in that capriciousness.
- It's a lot of that and, and, and that sort of uncertainty and that capriciousness.
- So he's worried about the infrequency and also the capriciousness of the way in which the death penalty is imposed.
- Whether or not it's whether there's sufficient procedural safeguards to prevent all kinds of capriciousness.
- So you had all made a comment in your own way about my capriciousness and hardness to read, and I'm not a criminal.
- And he says, you know, we need to be able to understand will and impulse, tenacity and capriciousness, how all of these different things are connected together.
Examples
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The capriciousness of her decisions made it difficult for her friends to plan anything in advance.
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In systems with high predictability, lines of authority are clear and capriciousness is at a minimum.
Academic text (1992) -
All farmers know about the capriciousness of the weather and the random unpredictability of nature.
Blog text (29) -
Judges typically defer to popular consensus because they value democracy and fear the unequal treatment that results from judicial capriciousness.
Academic text (2008) -
Constance Rourke used to capture a sense of capriciousness, eccentricity, and extravagance that cannot readily be pinned down.
Academic text (2007) -
Farmers often struggle with the capriciousness of the weather, which can change unexpectedly and impact their crops.
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Children often display a capriciousness in their moods, switching from laughter to tears in a matter of moments.
Synonyms
How likely a person, situation, or market is to change quickly and unexpectedly
Hard to know what will happen next
A quality of making decisions without clear reasons or rules
A habit of changing feelings or promises so people cannot trust someone
A tendency to change feelings or opinions and not stay loyal
A tendency to change quickly, especially in mood or health
A movement that changes direction or strength and is hard to predict
A quality of becoming different often and without warning
How often something becomes different, like the weather
Unpredictable and inconsistent behavior
A tendency to change plans or feelings suddenly without thinking
A habit of changing your mind, feelings, or plans
A lack of a steady or usual pattern
Antonyms
How Unpredictable
Surface Forms
Morphology
capriciousness = capricious (transparent) = caprice + ous + ness
Standard noun formation from the adjective 'capricious' indicating the state or quality of being capricious.
Etymology
Capriciousness comes from the word caprice (from Italian capriccio), which meant a 'sudden change' or 'whim'. A helpful way to remember this is a popular story that links capriccio to capo ('head') and riccio ('hedgehog'), so imagine your hair suddenly standing up like a hedgehog — so capriciousness means being unpredictable and likely to change suddenly without reason.