sortition

[ sawr-tish-uhn ]

/ sɔrˈtɪʃ ən /

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noun

the casting or drawing of lots.

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Origin of sortition

1590–1600; <Latin sortītiōn- (stem of sortītiō), equivalent to sortīt(us) (past participle of sortīrī to draw lots, derivative of sors lot, portion; see sort, -ite²) + -iōn--ion

Words nearby sortition

sorted, sortie, sortilege, sorting, sorting tracks, sortition, sort out, sorus, SOS, Sosa, sosatie

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sortition in a sentence

Sortition rests on two rather unique properties of random sampling.
Is It Time to Take a Chance on Random Representatives?|Michael Schulson|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And, second, we already use sortition to select an important deliberative body, the trial jury.
Is It Time to Take a Chance on Random Representatives?|Michael Schulson|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
First, sortition was the main system for choosing political officials in ancient Athens.
Is It Time to Take a Chance on Random Representatives?|Michael Schulson|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Today, there are people who talk about using sortition more widely in our society.
Is It Time to Take a Chance on Random Representatives?|Michael Schulson|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Gat is one of the founders of Equality-by-lot, a popular sortition blog.
Is It Time to Take a Chance on Random Representatives?|Michael Schulson|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At what date was election by lot, or sortition, introduced for the archonship?
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 4|Various
The real effect of sortition was to equalize the chances of rich and poor without civil strife.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 4|Various

British Dictionary definitions for sortition

sortition

/ (sɔːˈtɪʃən) /

noun

the act of casting lots

Word Origin for sortition

C16: from Latin sortitio, from sortiri to cast lots

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