capriciously
UK[kəˈprɪʃəsli]US[kəˈprɪʃəsli]
adv
in a way that is governed by sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior; unpredictably
adv
in a way that is not guided by steady judgment, intent, or principle; whimsically
Morpheme Breakdown
capric
ious
ly
capric
whim, fancy
ious
adjective suffix
ly
adverb suffix
Etymology
the word 'capriciously' has a playful and imaginative origin rooted in the natural world. it derives from the italian 'capriccio', which originally denoted a sudden shiver of fear but evolved to mean a whim or fancy. this shift in meaning is popularly, though not definitively, linked to the frisky, unpredictable jumping of goats, from the italian 'capro' (goat). the suffix '-ious' was added to form the adjective 'capricious', meaning 'characterized by whims', and the adverbial suffix '-ly' completes the word, describing an action performed in an impulsive, unpredictable manner. thus, the term captures the essence of behavior as changeable and as lightly guided as a goat's leap.
Analysis
Structure: capric (whim, fancy) + ious (adjective suffix) + ly (adverb suffix)
capric: from italian 'capriccio', meaning 'sudden start, shiver, whim', likely from italian 'capro' (goat), influenced by the notion of a goat's frisky, unpredictable leaps.
ious: a suffix forming adjectives, meaning 'characterized by, full of', from latin '-iosus'.
ly: a suffix forming adverbs from adjectives, from old english '-lice'.
Examples
the manager changed the project deadlines capriciously, frustrating the entire team.
she spent the afternoon wandering capriciously through the city, with no particular destination in mind.
the stock market can swing capriciously based on rumors and investor sentiment.