chaos
Americannoun
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chaos
plural
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a state of utter confusion or disorder; a total lack of organization or order.
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any confused, disorderly mass.
a chaos of meaningless phrases.
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the infinity of space or formless matter supposed to have preceded the existence of the ordered universe.
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(initial capital letter) the personification of this in any of several ancient Greek myths.
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Obsolete. a chasm or abyss.
noun
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complete disorder; utter confusion
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(usually capital) the disordered formless matter supposed to have existed before the ordered universe
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an obsolete word for abyss
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The behavior of systems that follow deterministic laws but appear random and unpredictable. Chaotic systems very are sensitive to initial conditions; small changes in those conditions can lead to quite different outcomes. One example of chaotic behavior is the flow of air in conditions of turbulence.
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See more at fractal
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of chaos
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin, Greek cháos; akin to chasm, yawn, gape
Explanation
Chaos is a state of extreme confusion and disorder. Putting a dozen dogs and a dozen cats in the same room would probably lead to utter chaos. The word chaos derives from a Greek word meaning "chasm" or "void," which makes sense, given that chaos also refers to the formless state of matter before the cosmos was created. In math and science, chaos describes a system that will develop in wildly different ways with only tiny changes to the initial conditions. "Controlled chaos" is a phrase often used casually to describe something that looks out of control but which functions according to unseen rules or organization.
Vocabulary lists containing chaos
Mayhem! Chaos! Pandemonium!
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"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 1
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Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The actual sequence of thinking tokens can be a chaos of AI-invented shorthand, at times using multiple languages.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
The 724-page report describes a deluge of chaos and poor communication that made evacuations, rescues and firefighting more challenging amid conditions that were already exceptionally dangerous and volatile.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
City can appeal both the guilty verdicts and the sanction, leaving the club and the Premier League in a state of chaos and uncertainty.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Thousands were fired and departments were shuttered, leaving chaos everywhere.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2026
Life on the bus alternated between moments of harmony and moments of chaos.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
