random Meaning & Definition
What Does Random Mean?
As a noun, random means A roving motion; course without definite direction; lack of rule or method; chance. It is also used to mean Speed, full speed; impetuosity, force. As an adjective, it means Occurring for no particular reason; haphazard, unpredictable. As a verb, it means To wander; to stray; to meander.
Quick Facts About Random
| Part of speech | noun, adjective, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | //ˈɹændəm// |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | stochastic, haphazard and unselected |
| Antonyms | nonrandom |
| Plural | randoms |
| Comparative / superlative | more random, most random |
| Verb forms | randoms, randoming, randomed |
Random Definition (Noun)
- A roving motion; course without definite direction; lack of rule or method; chance.
- Speed, full speed; impetuosity, force.
- The full range of a bullet or other projectile; hence, the angle at which a weapon is tilted to allow the greatest range.
- An undefined, unknown or unimportant person; a person of no consequence.
The party was boring. It was full of randoms.
- The direction of a rake-vein.
- A frame for composing type.
Random as an Adjective
- Occurring for no particular reason; haphazard, unpredictable.
Our city is plagued by random acts of violence.
- Involving an outcome which is impossible to predict, but which may be represented by a probability distribution; in the ideal case, involving outcomes which are equally likely.
The flip of a fair coin is purely random.
- Pseudorandom; mimicking the result of random selection.
The rand function generates a random number from a seed.
- Selected for no particular reason; arbitrary; unspecified.
A random American off the street couldn't tell the difference.
- Being (part of) a varied, unrelated, and apparently arbitrary collection of things; diverse, heterogeneous.
My notebook has turned into a random collection of thoughts.
- Apropos of nothing; lacking context, relevance, or any connection to the previous situation; unexpected.
This random guy just came up to me to say that he was a fan of my work.
- Of a person: characterized by or often saying random things; habitually using non sequiturs.
You're so random! I never know what you're going to do next.
- Being out of the ordinary; unusual or unexpected; odd, strange, bizarre.
That's a rather random fact!
Random as a Verb
- To wander; to stray; to meander.
Adjective
- Having unpredictable outcomes and, in the ideal case, all outcomes equally probable; resulting from such selection; lacking statistical correlation.
The flip of a fair coin is purely random.
- Of or relating to probability distribution.
A toss of loaded dice is still random, though biased.
- (somewhat colloquial) Representative and undistinguished; typical and average; selected for no particular reason.
A random American off the street couldn't tell the difference.
- (somewhat colloquial) Apropos of nothing; lacking context; unexpected; having apparent lack of plan, cause or reason.
That was a completely random comment.
- Characterized by or often saying random things; habitually using non sequiturs.
You're so random!
Synonyms of Random
Antonyms of Random
Random in a Sentence
The party was boring. It was full of randoms.
Our city is plagued by random acts of violence.
random acts of kindness
The flip of a fair coin is purely random.
The newspaper conducted a random sample of five hundred American teenagers.
The results of the field survey look random by several different measures.
A toss of a loaded die is still random, though biased.
The rand function generates a random number from a seed.
A random American off the street couldn't tell the difference.
You're just going to trust the word of random people on the Internet?
I didn't have time to peruse the resturant's menu, so I just ordered some random dish.
Whatever random hobby you're into, there's an Internet community for it.
My notebook has turned into a random collection of thoughts.
I brought a bunch of random snacks, but nothing nutritious.
I mixed a bunch of random vegetables into a salad, and it actually turned out pretty good.
This random guy just came up to me to say that he was a fan of my work.
Thank you for that completely random comment... now, let's get back to our actual topic of discussion.
The teacher's bartending story was interesting, but very random.
I feel like pineapple is a very random thing to put on a pizza.
You're so random! I never know what you're going to do next.
That's a rather random fact!
I can't believe he would say that. That's so random!
A toss of loaded dice is still random, though biased.
That was a completely random comment.
You're so random!
Word Forms & Grammar
random (countable and uncountable, plural randoms)
random (comparative more random, superlative most random)
random (third-person singular simple present randoms, present participle randoming, simple past and past participle randomed)
Words That Rhyme With Random
Origin of Random
From earlier randon, from Middle English randoun, raundon, from Old French randon, from randir (“to run, gallop”) (whence French randonnée (“long walk, hike”)), from Frankish *randiju (“a run, race”) or Old Norse rend (“a run, race”), both from Proto-Germanic *randijō, from *rinnaną (“run”, verb), from Proto-Indo-European *(H)r̥-nw- (“to flow, move, run”). Cognate with Middle Low German uprinden (“to jump up”), Danish rende (“to run”). See run.
Random Pronunciation
The standard pronunciation of random is //ˈɹændəm//, spoken in 1 syllable.
Common Questions About Random
Is random a noun or an adjective?
Random is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as an adjective and a verb.
What is another word for random?
Words with a similar meaning to random include stochastic, haphazard and unselected. See the full list of random synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of random?
The opposite of random is nonrandom.
What is the plural of random?
The plural of random is randoms.
What is the past tense of random?
The past tense of random is randomed. The present participle is randoming.