Difference between "random want" and "whim"

Question

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 1

I think the difference here boils down to the differences between these words:

• need (require)
• want (desire but do not need)
• whim (sudden or random desire)

The original quote is saying that context is a need, not just a want. When discussing requirements it is normal to prioritize according to needs and wants. That is the distinction that the author is making here.

A whim, on the other hand, is not as strong a desire as a want, and using the word "whim" softens the nature of the desire for context. Thus, the author wanted to keep the word "want" for its specific purpose in this context.

Answer 2

It's not so much that the overall meaning is different.

You could say that a random want is a whim if you wanted.

The problem with the context you give is that the writer has emphasised the wrong word. The writer seems to want to make it clear that the the need for context is not random and so should have emphasised that word, rather than want. They do want context, and presumably for very good reasons. So the want is not random.

Put in this light, I think it is better to use the phrase random want over whim because it has hard sounds in it, which allows the writer to express their frustration better.

Whim is a soft word that conjures up ideas of whimsy and so would not fit in well with the anger the writer is trying to diffuse.

Answer 3

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).

Answer 4

In the example you provide the author is using want in the nounified jargon-based sense of technical requirements. A requirement for a system being designed that is nice to have, but is not essential, would be a WANT. Whereas a NEED or a MUST HAVE needs to be implemented for the system to be successful.

Whim is a good synonym for what is being described by the author, but it lacks the semantics of technical requirements.