randomly

[ran-duhm-lee]

adverb

1. without definite aim, reason, sense, or pattern.

   This poem just seems like a bunch of words randomly put together.

   Freckles generally appear randomly on the face and upper shoulders.

2. Statistics.,  in a way that gives each item in a set the equal probability of being chosen.

   A survey of 309 women aged 15 to 49 was conducted in nine randomly selected villages.

Other Word Forms

• nonrandomly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of randomly¹

random ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Nominations for the Actor Awards are chosen by two nominating committees, one for film and one for television, comprising 2,500 SAG-AFTRA members that are randomly selected each year.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"These people were not killed randomly", a community leader told AFP.

Read more on Barron's

Patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: one received no vitamin D management, and the other underwent active, targeted vitamin D3 treatment.

Read more on Science Daily

Participants were randomly assigned to either drink at least one cup of caffeinated coffee or an espresso shot each day, or to completely avoid coffee and other caffeinated beverages for six months.

Read more on Science Daily

Chief selector George Bailey has not randomly assembled a bunch of old-timers.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• aimlessly 
• carelessly www.thesaurus.com
• casually