na-adjective
arbitrary; subjective; capricious
Describes decisions, rules, or judgments made based on personal whim or bias rather than objective criteria. Often carries a negative connotation of unfairness or lack of justification.
彼の判断は恣意的で、公平さに欠ける。
His judgment is arbitrary and lacks fairness.
恣意的なルール変更はチームの士気を下げた。
The arbitrary rule change lowered the team's morale.
独断的 emphasizes making a decision alone without consulting others, whereas 恣意的 focuses on the lack of objective basis.
Formed from 恣意 (arbitrary will, personal bias) + 的 (suffix forming adjectival nouns). The exact historical derivation of 恣意 is uncertain, but it is a Sino-Japanese compound using kanji with meanings related to 'selfish' and 'mind'.