YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

capricious

Adjective

IPA /kəˈprɪʃəs/

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Meaning in plain English

Changing decisions, moods or behaviour suddenly and unpredictably.

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Pronunciation

capricious/kəˈprɪʃəs/

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A manager approves one plan
They suddenly reverse their decision
The team cannot predict the next change

Capricious decisions change suddenly and make it hard for others to plan.

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The capricious owner changed the opening hours almost every week.
The team struggled with a capricious manager who kept reversing decisions.

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The ________ owner changed the opening hours almost every week.

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capricious — Changing decisions, moods or behaviour suddenly and unpredictably.

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Changing decisions, moods or behaviour suddenly and unpredictably.

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Word origin

Through French capricieux from Italian capriccio.

Did you know?

Capricious also describes changeable conditions, such as weather or economic forces.

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