capricious

Definition

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

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French capricieux, from Italian capriccioso, from capriccio. By surface analysis, caprice + -ious.

Example Sentences

• "I almost died in a capricious winter storm."
• "Stringent rulers are unlikely to act capriciously."
• "I am heere with thee, and thy Goats, as the moſt capricious Poet honeſt Ouid was among Gothes."