Dictionary Home » Dictionary Definitions » random

random

Listen See in Thesaurus See in a sentence

The definition of random is an action that happens without order or without reason.

(adjective)

An example of random is when you close your eyes and choose one of two options.
An example of random is violence where the criminal doesn't care who the victim is and has no reason for his action.

See random in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

impetuous and haphazard movement: now only in , without careful choice, aim, plan, etc.; haphazardly

Origin: ME randoun < OFr randon, violence, speed (in a randon, violently) < randir, to run violently < Frank *rant, a running, akin to OHG rinnan, to run

adjective

lacking aim or method; purposeless; haphazard
not uniform; esp., of different sizes: said of stones, etc. in certain types of masonry
Statistics of statistical sample selection in which all possible samples have equal probability of selection

Related Forms:

randomly adverb
randomness noun

See random in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective

Having no specific pattern, purpose, or objective: random movements. See Synonyms at chance.
Mathematics & Statistics Of or relating to a type of circumstance or event that is described by a probability distribution.
Of or relating to an event in which all outcomes are equally likely, as in the testing of a blood sample for the presence of a substance.

Origin:

Origin: From at random, by chance, at great speed

Origin: , from Middle English randon, speed, violence

Origin: , from Old French

Origin: , from randir, to run

Origin: , of Germanic origin

Related Forms: