capricious

Borrowed from Middle French capricieux, from Italian capriccioso, from capriccio.

• IPA^(key): /kəˈpɹɪʃəs/

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• Rhymes: -ɪʃəs

capricious (comparative more capricious, superlative most capricious)

1. Impulsive and unpredictable; determined by chance, impulse, or whim.

   Synonyms: arbitrary, whimsical, fickle, flighty, wayward

   Antonyms: conscientious, rigorous

   I almost died in a capricious winter storm.

   Stringent rulers are unlikely to act capriciously.

   • c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii], page 198:

     I am heere with thee, and thy Goats, as the moſt capricious Poet honeſt Ouid was among Gothes.

   • 1876 June, Henry James, Jr., chapter I, in The American, Boston, Mass.: James R[ipley] Osgood and Company, […], published 5 May 1877, →OCLC, page 11:

     "Capricious?" And at this monsieur began to laugh. "Oh no, I'm not capricious. I am very faithful. I am very constant. Comprenez?"

• The word capricious can describe both a person and the decisions which they make.

• caprice

• “capricious”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• capricious in Britannica Dictionary
• “capricious” in Moby Thesaurus II, Grady Ward, 1996.
• capricious, whimsical, arbitrary, fickle at the Google Books Ngram Viewer.

• auriscopic