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

The kids who lose these contests aren’t chosen at random.

From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

The first enzyme cuts the long polymer chains at random points, reducing them into shorter sections.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

He tested portfolios consisting of 100 stocks, 50 stocks, 25 stocks, five stocks and only one stock, drawn at random from the S&P 500.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

I should be able to obtain the Jade Key at any one of them, so I selected one of the copies at random on the map.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Related Words

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