random
/ˈɹændəm/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.58 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A roving motion; course without definite direction; lack of rule or method; chance.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
The full range of a bullet or other projectile; hence, the angle at which a weapon is tilted to allow the greatest range.
Countable; Obsolete; Uncountable
noun
An undefined, unknown or unimportant person; a person of no consequence.
Colloquial; Countable; Uncountable
adj
Occurring for no particular reason; haphazard, unpredictable.
adj
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.
Example Sentences
- "Still take advice ; though counsels, when they fly / At random, sometimes hit most happily."
- "O ! many a shaft, at random sent, / Finds mark the archer little meant !"
- "they were messagers vnto kyng Ban & Bors sent from kynge Arthur / therfor said the viij knyghtes ye shalle dye or be prysoners / for we ben knyghtes of kyng Claudas And therwith two of them dressid theire sperys / and Vlfyus and Brastias dressid theire speres and ranne to gyder with grete raundon"
- "[…] for coragiouſly the two kynges newely foughte with great randon and force, they ſhewed their vigors and ſtrengthes and did ſo nobly that their coũter parties had none aduaũtage."
- "Fortie yards will they shoot levell, or very neare the marke, and 120 is their best at Random."
- "[…] the angle at which the miſſive is to mount by ( if we will have it go to its furtheſt randome ) muſt be the half of a right one […]"
Etymology
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.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Usage
Inflected Forms
randoms (plural)
more random (comparative)
most random (superlative)
randoms (present, singular)
randoming (participle, present)
randomed (participle, past)
randomed (past)