Meaning & use

random

adjective·Everyday

Made, done, or happening without any method or conscious decision; not following a pattern.

See it in a sentence

The winning number was chosen at random from a hat during the assembly.

A random comment from a stranger completely changed the direction of her career.

A note on using this word

In casual speech, 'random' can also describe something odd or unrelated to context, as in 'that was such a random thing to say.'

Words with a similar meaning

arbitraryhaphazardchance

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

deliberatesystematic

Make it your own

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