random

American  

[ran-duhm] / ˈræn dəm /

adjective

1. proceeding, made, or occurring without definite aim, reason, or pattern.

   the random selection of numbers.

   Synonyms:

   fortuitous, chance, haphazard

2. Statistics. of or characterizing a process of selection in which each item of a set has an equal probability of being chosen.

3. Building Trades.

   1. (of building materials) lacking uniformity of dimensions.

      random shingles.

   2. (of ashlar) laid without continuous courses.

   3. constructed or applied without regularity.

      random bond.

4. Slang.

   1. unknown, unidentified, or suspiciously out of place.

      A couple of random guys showed up at the party.

   2. odd or unpredictable, often in an amusing way.

      my totally random life.

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noun

1. something that is random, or a random state or condition.

   different statistical methods used to estimate randoms.

2. Slang.

   1. a person or thing that is unknown, unidentified, or suspiciously out of place.

   2. a person or thing that is odd or unpredictable.

3. Chiefly British. bank.

adverb

1. Building Trades. without uniformity.

   random-sized slates.

idioms

1. at random, without definite aim, purpose, method, or adherence to a prior arrangement; in a haphazard way.

   Contestants were chosen at random from the studio audience.

random British  

/ ˈrændəm /

adjective

1. lacking any definite plan or prearranged order; haphazard

   a random selection

2. statistics

   1. having a value which cannot be determined but only described probabilistically

      a random variable

   2. chosen without regard to any characteristics of the individual members of the population so that each has an equal chance of being selected

      random sampling

3. informal (of a person) unknown

   some random guy waiting for a bus

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noun

1. in a purposeless fashion; not following any prearranged order

random Scientific  

/ răn′dəm /

1. Relating to a type of circumstance or event that is described by a probability distribution.

2. Relating to an event in which all outcomes are equally likely, as in the testing of a blood sample for the presence of a substance.

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random More Idioms  

1. see at random.

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Other Word Forms

• nonrandom adjective
• nonrandomness noun
• randomly adverb
• randomness noun

Etymology

Origin of random

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English raundon, random, from Old French randon, derivative of randir “to gallop,” from Germanic

Example Sentences

Sure, there’s random talk about “World War III,” a term that shows up in numerous headlines in all sorts of bizarre contexts.

From Salon

“It’s easier than hanging out at a random hotel bar.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The upset picks weren’t always right, but they were never random.

From The Wall Street Journal

The chip achieved a secure random bit generation rate of 42.7 Gbit/s, setting a record for this type of system.

From Science Daily

The games sector has in recent years been the subject of debate, including over allegedly addictive mechanics such as "loot boxes" -- virtual items purchasable for real money that contain a random in-game reward.

From Barron's

Related Words

• accidental
• aimless
• arbitrary
• incidental
• indiscriminate
• irregular
• odd
• unplanned