vagary
5 synonyms for vagary, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — An unpredictable, irregular event or act.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Etymology
Comes from Italian vagare (“wander”) and/or its source, Latin vagārī (“to wander”), itself from Latin vagus (“wandering”). It was later apparently reinterpreted in English as vague + -ery, though the spelling stayed the same; by surface analysis it breaks down as Latin vag(us) + -ary.
Full origin of vagary →