ranâ‹…dom
†‚†‚/ˈrændÉ™m/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ran-duhm] Show IPA
Use random in a Sentence
–adjective
1. proceeding, made, or occurring without definite aim, reason, or pattern: the random selection of numbers.
2. Statistics. of or characterizing a process of selection in which each item of a set has an equal probability of being chosen.
3. Building Trades.
a. (of building materials) lacking uniformity of dimensions: random shingles.
b. (of ashlar) laid without continuous courses.
c. constructed or applied without regularity: random bond.
–noun
4. Chiefly British. bank 3 (def. 7b).
–adverb
5. Building Trades. without uniformity: random-sized slates.
—Idiom
6. at random, without definite aim, purpose, method, or adherence to a prior arrangement; in a haphazard way: Contestants were chosen at random from the studio audience.
Origin:
1275–1325; ME raundon, random < OF randon, deriv. of randir to gallop < Gmc
Related forms:
ranâ‹…domâ‹…ly, adverb
ranâ‹…domâ‹…ness, noun