What is the difference between the words random want and whim?
The definition of whim can be easily found in the dictionary:
a sudden wish to do or have something, especially when it is something
unusual or unnecessary
Random want is not on the dictionary. It turns out to be just two words combined together. But it seems to me to have nearly the same meaning as whim.
I came across this word chunk in the phrase made up by a native American:
They thought the problem to be settled was how on earth to get posters
to understand that CONTEXT is not just some random WANT on the part of
those who would like to answer, but an ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENT.
But later in the discussion the native speaker writes:
random want fits better than whim
, which suggest that there is some difference for him between the words whim and random want.
So, what is the difference?
Answer
Jasper Loy's answer gave me some ideas. I want to lay out some elaboration in this answer.
random want is what happens by chance, not according to the plan.
There are several explanation for whim in different dictionaries:
OALD: a sudden wish to do or have something, especially when it is something unusual or unnecessary
Cambridge: a sudden wish or idea, especially one that cannot be reasonably explained
Macmillan: a sudden feeling that you must have or must do something. This word often suggests that what someone wants is not important.
So, whim carries the idea suddenness, unusualness, being unnecessary, without reasonable explanation and usually not being important.
Taking all this into account, it seems to me that whim can't be according to the plan (I don't see how something sudden, unnecessary and not important can be on the plan).
This means that whim is random want with some additional features of being sudden and unnecessary. Whereas random want per se doesn't have the idea of being unnecessary (still random, it might be useful), or sudden, or unimportant (it may turnt out to be important when this want appears).
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