at random

Idioms  

1. Without order or fixed purpose, haphazardly, as in Jackson Pollock dropped paints on canvas seemingly at random. Originally this phrase meant “very speedily” and “heedlessly.” Shakespeare had the present usage in 1 Henry VI (5:3): “He talks at random; sure the man is mad.” [Late 1500s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

at random

There, again, if enough people pick stocks at random, some of them will make a fortune through sheer chance.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev said the brokerage in years past had to plead with issuers to set aside stock for the company’s IPO Access program, which distributes allocated retail shares at random to interested customers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026

Apparently at random, Evans broke into a Jeep Wagoneer rented by a choreographer and dancer for Beyoncé on 8 July 2025, as the singer's Cowboy Carter tour was coming to Atlanta.

From BBC ● May 13, 2026

In these "RCTs," participants are assigned at random to different groups.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 25, 2026

He was talking at random, but Heqet pounced on the words.

From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Related Words

• aimlessly
• frantically
• indiscriminately
• instinctively
• madly
• wildly