noun
vagary
Vagary (noun) means an unpredictable, irregular event or act.
noun
1
An unpredictable, irregular event or act.
"These systems learn the vagaries of language by analyzing enormous amounts of text, including thousands of books, Wikipedia entries and other online documents."
— Cade Metz, Google Researcher Says She Was Fired Over Paper Highlighting Bias in A.I (2020)
"This searching was facilitated by the author's knowledge of the vagaries of Anglo-Indian spelling and the numerous colonial-era transliteration systems used for loanwords from Indian languages."
— James Lambert, Anglo-Indian slang in dictionaries on historical principles (2018)
2
Something that is not clear or definite.
3
A sudden wish or urge that makes little sense; a whim.
"And then came the day when my socialism grew respectable,—still a vagary of youth, it was held, but romantically respectable."
— Jack London, War of the Classes (1905)
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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.
Related words
Rhymes for vagary
See all rhymes for vagary →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of vagary?
"vagary" (noun) means an unpredictable, irregular event or act.
What is another word for vagary?
Other words for "vagary" include fancy, conceit, crotchet, caprice, freak.
What are the different meanings of vagary?
"vagary" has 3 main meanings: 1. An unpredictable, irregular event or act; 2. Something that is not clear or definite; 3. A sudden wish or urge that makes little sense; a whim.
