Arbitrários

Arbitrários is the plural form of arbitrário, an adjective used in Portuguese to describe things that depend on will, whim, or personal choice rather than on established rules or necessity. It can characterize decisions, methods, rules, or explanations that are not determined by objective criteria, and it often carries a sense of caprice, inconsistency, or non-necessity. In everyday language, phrases like “uma decisão arbitrária” or “valores arbitrários” signal that the action or selection was not bound by formal criteria.

Etymology and sense. The word comes from Latin arbitrarius, which relates to arbiter or judgment. Over time, it acquired the connotation of something left to judgment, discretion, or preference rather than fixed standards. In contemporary use, arbitrário can refer to both subjective choices and methodological placeholders in formal contexts.

Arbitrary in mathematics and science. In math and related disciplines, arbitrários is used to describe elements chosen as placeholders that can take any value within a given domain. Phrases like “uma constante arbitrária” or “uma função arbitrária” indicate that the object is not fixed and may be specified later or for generality. This usage helps prove results that hold for all possible values.

Legal and normative usage. In law and public discourse, terms about arbitrariness address actions or rules perceived as lacking justification, transparency, or adherence to formal standards. An act described as arbitrário is viewed as capricious or unjustified, potentially factoring into discussions of rights, due process, or administrative reasonableness.

Distinction from aleatório. Arbitrário contrasts with aleatório (random). Arbitrário refers to choice or discretion, often implying non-necessity, while aleatório implies outcomes governed by chance.