capriciousness
1
8.9
- noun
- /kəˈprɪʃəsnəs/
- Isolated on these farms, workers were subject to the goodwill or capriciousness of their employers.
Loading YouTube…
Watch on YouTubeSo, 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
-
The capriciousness of her decisions made it difficult for her friends to plan anything in advance.
-
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.
-
Children often display a capriciousness in their moods, switching from laughter to tears in a matter of moments.
Synonyms
49
7.1
How likely a person, situation, or market is to change quickly and unexpectedly
18
7.0
Hard to know what will happen next
3
7.6
A quality of making decisions without clear reasons or rules
1
7.3
A habit of changing feelings or promises so people cannot trust someone
1
8.6
A tendency to change feelings or opinions and not stay loyal
1
9.4
A tendency to change quickly, especially in mood or health
1
7.9
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.