capricious

[kuh-prish-uhs, -pree-shuhs]

adjective

1. subject to, led by, or indicative of a sudden, odd notion or unpredictable change; erratic.

   He's such a capricious boss I never know how he'll react.

   Synonyms: mercurial, flighty, variable
   Antonyms: consistent, constant, steady

2. Obsolete.,  fanciful or witty.

capricious

/ kəˈprɪʃəs /

adjective

1. characterized by or liable to sudden unpredictable changes in attitude or behaviour; impulsive; fickle

Other Word Forms

• capriciousness noun
• capriciously adverb
• noncapricious adjective
• noncapriciously adverb
• uncapricious adjective
• uncapriciously adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of capricious¹

First recorded in 1585–95; from French capricieux, from Italian capriccioso capriccioso

Synonym Study

See fickle.

Example Sentences

A lot has happened since then, with Kyiv's European allies working assiduously to repair the damage and school Zelensky in the best ways of handling the capricious and volatile occupant of the White House.

From BBC

“Agencies cutting off funds, like NIH and NSF, are violating the Administrative Procedures Act in that the actions are ‘arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion.’

From Los Angeles Times

Meanwhile, media overseas have been bombarded with stories of capricious denials and detentions at U.S. border crossings.

From Los Angeles Times

The lawsuit calls the administration’s actions “arbitrary and capricious, an abuse of discretion, and contrary to law, and threatens to wreak significant economic damage on the Central Valley, the State, and the Nation.”

From Los Angeles Times

The Reichstag, or national parliament, was grossly gerrymandered in favor of the upper classes, and the government was not responsible to its lawmakers, but rather to a capricious monarch.

From Salon

Related Words

• arbitrary 
• careless 
• erratic 
• fickle 
• flighty 
• helter-skelter 
• impulsive 
• quirky 
• temperamental 
• unpredictable 
• unreasonable 
• unstable 
• volatile 
• wayward 
• whimsical