sortition

[ sawr-tish-uh n ]

/ sɔrˈtɪʃ ən /

noun

the casting or drawing of lots.

Nearby words

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sortition

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
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
Still, there are other places where, like trial juries, sortition make sense.
Is It Time to Take a Chance on Random Representatives?|Michael Schulson|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Really, sortition strikes at the tension at the heart of elective representative democracy.
Is It Time to Take a Chance on Random Representatives?|Michael Schulson|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST

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
At what date was election by lot, or sortition, introduced for the archonship?
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