arbitrary agreement

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "arbitrary agreement" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a consensus or decision made without any specific reason or rationale, often implying that it could have been different. Example: "The two parties reached an arbitrary agreement that did not take into account the long-term implications of their decision."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

They're just like spelling: arbitrary agreements enforced by arbitrary language monarchs.

Huffington Post

A line which allows for makeup, excessive attention paid to clothes and de-tagging bad pictures on Facebook, but which for no reason other than arbitrary tacit agreement does not allow for wanting to be retouched in a magazine, trading on your looks, caring too much about what you eat or heaven forbid, plastic surgery.

Huffington Post

The fact that no unique solution is obtained for all elements, but and depend on, which remains arbitrary, is in agreement with the statement about βJ being also an eigenvector in Section 3.1.

Earth, Planets and Space

We wanted to identify a set number of consultation tasks which could realistically be undertaken in a 10-minute consultation, and not to pre-define an arbitrary level of agreement for a task to be included in the model OA consultation.

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

Rather than providing relief to the arbitrary Medicare sequester cuts, this agreement maintains the current cuts and extends these cuts into the future.

Huffington Post

The choice of the diseases was somewhat arbitrary settled on by mutual agreement of the authors.

Health Research Policy and Systems

The law, the companies argue, is flawed and dangerous, giving the health minister unconstitutionally excessive and arbitrary power and violating international agreements on patent protections.

The New York Times

Arbitrary visibility levels representing collaborative agreements, consortium memberships, research organizations, and other affiliations are structured into a policy space through explicit paths of permissible information flow.

NeuroImage

Kuhn replied to this sort of objection (in "Postscript" and elsewhere) that his scientific communities do possess shared values, that their agreement is not something arbitrary, say, as whipped up by political ideologues.

SEP

In both cases, the data are in very good agreement with these simple arbitrary functions.

Plosone

This arbitrary time limit was selected in agreement with the Swedish Medical Products Agency as a clinically relevant requirement to balance efficacy and safety.

Addiction

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider providing context to explain how and why the agreement was reached despite being arbitrary

Common error

The term "arbitrary" doesn't inherently signify negativity. While it often implies a lack of rationale, it can also simply indicate a decision made without specific constraints. Avoid assuming a negative connotation without contextual support.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "arbitrary agreement" primarily functions as a noun phrase, where "arbitrary" modifies the noun "agreement". Ludwig AI analysis confirms this usage across varied contexts. It describes a specific type of agreement characterized by a lack of objective rationale.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

32%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "arbitrary agreement" describes a consensus reached without a clear or logical rationale, often implying subjectivity or a lack of proper justification. While grammatically sound, it's relatively rare in general usage. Ludwig AI examples confirm its presence across news, scientific, and formal business contexts. When employing this phrase, consider its potential negative connotations and ensure the surrounding context clarifies the rationale behind the agreement's perceived arbitrariness. Alternatives like "random agreement" or "subjective agreement" may offer more precise shades of meaning depending on the intended message.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unfair agreement

Suggests an agreement that is unjust or biased, implying that one party is disadvantaged.

subjective agreement

Emphasizes the personal and opinion-based nature of the agreement, lacking objective standards.

random agreement

Highlights the lack of planning or rationale behind the agreement, suggesting it was chosen by chance.

capricious accord

Indicates an agreement based on whim or impulse, prone to sudden changes.

unreasonable agreement

Implies that the agreement defies logic or good judgment, potentially leading to negative consequences.

dictatorial agreement

Suggests an agreement imposed by authority, without consultation or consent.

tenuous agreement

Highlights the fragility or instability of the agreement, prone to collapse.

provisional agreement

Emphasizes the temporary nature of the agreement, subject to further changes or conditions.

contrived agreement

Suggests that the agreement was artificially created or manipulated to serve a specific purpose.

hasty agreement

Indicates an agreement made quickly without sufficient consideration or deliberation.

FAQs

What does "arbitrary agreement" mean?

An "arbitrary agreement" refers to a decision or consensus reached without a clear, logical, or justifiable basis. It suggests the agreement was made somewhat randomly or based on personal preference rather than objective criteria.

How can I use "arbitrary agreement" in a sentence?

You can use "arbitrary agreement" to describe situations where decisions lack solid reasoning. For instance: "The budget cuts were a result of an arbitrary agreement between departments".

What are some alternatives to "arbitrary agreement"?

Depending on the context, alternatives to "arbitrary agreement" could include "random agreement", "subjective agreement", or "unreasonable agreement". Choose the phrase that best reflects the specific nuance you intend to convey.

Is there a difference between "arbitrary decision" and "arbitrary agreement"?

While both terms involve choices made without a clear rationale, "arbitrary decision" refers to a unilateral choice, whereas "arbitrary agreement" implies a consensus reached without a strong foundation. The key difference lies in whether the action is individual or collaborative.