arbitrary scope

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "arbitrary scope" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts where the range or extent of something is determined by random choice or personal whim rather than any reason or system. Example: "The project was criticized for its arbitrary scope, which led to confusion among team members about their responsibilities."

✓ Grammatically correct

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Leon said that the mass collection of phone metadata, revealed by the Guardian in June, was "indiscriminate" and "arbitrary" in its scope.

The Guardian

Therefore, the choice of scale in determining both resource availability and resource selection is important (Boyce, 2006), because influential processes may be masked or inflated, due to an arbitrary or limited scope on scaling.

Forest Ecology and Management

In its brief in the Michigan case, the center said, "It is a measure of how formless, standardless, arbitrary, and unlimited in scope the diversity rationale is or has become that the university puts it forward in defending the quota system at issue here".

The New York Times

Where the petition sees this scope as arbitrary, the Board of Health has the jurisdiction to extend its rule to only these outfits.

Huffington Post

All of the women cautioned against setting arbitrary deadlines or viewing success in too narrow a scope.

Huffington Post

We assume that only ASCII data must be stored, arbitrary binary filesare out of scope as are XML documents and non-ASCII textural data.

Journal of Cheminformatics

In general, constraint scopes comprise an arbitrary number of variables, and thus this structure may be naturally encoded via hypergraphs.

Artificial Intelligence

Therefore, such investigations applying relatively arbitrary damage-evaluation schemes are beyond the scope of this review.

Mechanics of Advanced Materials and Modern Processes

Therefore, we currently exclude polymers with repeating units of arbitrary length and Markush structures from the scope of CHESS, for example.

Journal of Cheminformatics

Larvae were observed under a fluorescence dissecting scope, and we established an arbitrary area of approximately five cell diameters above and below the horizontal myoseptum, which runs from the first somite to the end of the tail.

BMC Biology

The solution is formulated analytically for a generic anisotropic problem using arbitrary coordinates, hopefully bringing this method into the scope of a wide variety of applications.

Journal of Computational Physics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "arbitrary scope", ensure you clarify why the scope is arbitrary and what implications this has for the subject at hand. Provide context to avoid confusion.

Common error

While "arbitrary" often carries a negative connotation, it simply means 'based on random choice or personal whim'. Ensure your writing reflects the intended nuance, which might be neutral or even positive depending on the context.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "arbitrary scope" functions as an adjective-noun combination. "Arbitrary" modifies "scope", indicating that the extent or range being referred to is not based on any particular system or logic, but rather on a random or subjective choice.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

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Less common in

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "arbitrary scope" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe a range or extent that is determined without a clear rationale or system. While the phrase is understandable, its usage is relatively infrequent, according to Ludwig. Alternatives such as "random extent" or "unrestricted range" can be used to convey similar meanings. It's important to provide context when using "arbitrary scope" to ensure clarity and avoid potential negative connotations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

random extent

Replaces "arbitrary" with "random", emphasizing the lack of a specific pattern in defining the extent.

unrestricted range

Substitutes "arbitrary" with "unrestricted", highlighting the absence of limitations on the range.

subjective extent

Replaces "arbitrary" with "subjective", indicating that the extent is based on personal opinions or feelings.

discretionary range

Emphasizes that the range is determined by someone's choice or decision, rather than by objective criteria.

undefined limits

Focuses on the lack of clear boundaries or constraints.

ill-defined scope

Highlights the lack of clarity or precision in the defined scope.

vague boundaries

Similar to "undefined limits" but emphasizes the imprecision of the boundaries.

unspecified extent

Indicates that the extent has not been explicitly determined or stated.

fluid parameters

Suggests the parameters are not fixed and can change easily.

open-ended scale

Emphasizes that the scale is not predetermined and can be extended.

FAQs

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

You can use "arbitrary scope" to describe situations where the boundaries or limits of something are determined randomly or without a clear rationale. For example, "The project's "undefined scope" led to numerous challenges in its execution".

What's a good alternative to "arbitrary scope"?

Alternatives to "arbitrary scope" include phrases like "random extent", "unrestricted range", or "subjective extent", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Does "arbitrary scope" always have a negative connotation?

While "arbitrary" can suggest a lack of justification or fairness, it doesn't inherently have a negative connotation. It simply means something is based on random choice. The specific context determines whether it's perceived positively or negatively. For example, the parameters may be "subjective scope" instead.

What are some common pitfalls when writing about the scope of something?

A common pitfall is failing to define the scope clearly, leading to misunderstandings and inefficiencies. Whether the scope is "arbitrary" or well-defined, transparency is essential. The exact parameters may be "ill-defined scope" instead.