random numbers

British

plural noun

a sequence of numbers that do not form any progression, used to facilitate unbiased sampling of a population. A random-number generator is part of the software of most computers and many calculators

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

A few doubts nag him, such as: what are he and his team accomplishing by sorting random numbers?

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2025

She interviews an old boxer, suffering from dementia, who utters seemingly random numbers any viewer will recognize immediately as pregnant with dark meaning.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 8, 2024

"One of those random numbers connected him with me," Ms Bi says.

From BBC • Sep. 4, 2023

In monthly meetings, which are live-streamed and open to the public, they are identified only by their initials or random numbers.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 4, 2023

I figured he was yelling out random numbers.

From "Because of Mr. Terupt" by Rob Buyea

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023