indimi

kiholela

kee-hoh-LEH-lah

How to say it

Swahilikiholelakee-hoh-LEH-lahsoon

Meaning

Doing something without order, rules or good reason, such as raising prices, cutting trees or arresting people as one pleases.

Good to know

An adverb placed after the verb: kuvuna misitu kiholela, to cut forests haphazardly. With -a it becomes an adjective: kukamatwa kiholela, arbitrary arrest; mauaji ya kiholela, extrajudicial killings.

Examples

  • Wafanyabiashara wasipandishe bei kiholela.Traders should not raise prices arbitrarily.
  • Taka zinatupwa kiholela katika mitaa yetu.Rubbish is thrown about carelessly in our streets.
  • Wanaharakati walilaani mauaji ya kiholela.The activists condemned the extrajudicial killings.

Not yet checked by a native speaker.

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