How to Say "arbitrary" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “arbitrary” is “arbitrario” — B2 level.
Examples
La decisión del jefe pareció muy arbitraria.
The boss's decision seemed very arbitrary.
No podemos elegir a los ganadores de forma arbitraria.
We cannot choose the winners in a random way.
El abogado denunció la detención arbitraria de su cliente.
The lawyer denounced the arbitrary detention of his client.
Matching the Noun
This word must change its ending to match what you are describing. Use 'arbitrario' for masculine things (el proceso) and 'arbitraria' for feminine things (la regla).
Placement Matters
In Spanish, putting this word after the noun makes it sound more objective and descriptive, which is the standard way to use it.
The 'Referee' Confusion
Mistake: “Thinking it means 'fair' because 'árbitro' means 'referee'.”
Correction: While they share a root, 'arbitrario' actually describes someone acting as their own judge without following rules, so it usually means 'unfair' or 'random'.
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