randomness
noun
ran·dom·ness
ˈran-dəm-nəs 
: the quality or state of being or seeming random (as in lacking or seeming to lack a definite plan, purpose, or pattern)
… the metaphor of a coin flip for randomness remains unquestioned. We use coin tosses to settle disputes and decide outcomes because we believe they are unbiased, with 50-50 odds. Yet recent research into coin flips has discovered that the laws of mechanics determine the outcome of coin tosses …—
David E. Adler
David E. Adlerthe randomness of life
Examples of randomness in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In What a Fool Believes, out now, the longtime Doobie Brothers member leans in to his life motto: being open to the randomness of life.
—Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 22 May 2024
And that gets us to the level of shock that sits in a special place in the human brain — where revulsion at the randomness of life intersects with our respect for it.
—Dan Rodricks, Baltimore Sun, 26 Mar. 2024
The nihilistic randomness of the violence is what makes the film connect on a visceral level; to give them a backstory, or even real names, would be to go against the premise’s central appeal.
—Michael Nordine, Variety, 16 May 2024
The randomness of outcomes discourages work and investment.
—Joseph E. Stiglitz, Fortune, 12 May 2024
The unreasonable effectiveness of randomness led him to think about the nature of randomness itself.
—Quanta Magazine, 10 Apr. 2024
Like so many Baltimoreans, so many Americans, Smith thought about the randomness of life.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
To a first approximation, this setting controls the randomness and creativity of its output.
—Patrick House, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024
There’s this element of randomness to the precipitation of my medical treatment.
—Isabella Cueto, STAT, 8 Mar. 2024
Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 22 May 2024
And that gets us to the level of shock that sits in a special place in the human brain — where revulsion at the randomness of life intersects with our respect for it.
—Dan Rodricks, Baltimore Sun, 26 Mar. 2024
The nihilistic randomness of the violence is what makes the film connect on a visceral level; to give them a backstory, or even real names, would be to go against the premise’s central appeal.
—Michael Nordine, Variety, 16 May 2024
The randomness of outcomes discourages work and investment.
—Joseph E. Stiglitz, Fortune, 12 May 2024
The unreasonable effectiveness of randomness led him to think about the nature of randomness itself.
—Quanta Magazine, 10 Apr. 2024
Like so many Baltimoreans, so many Americans, Smith thought about the randomness of life.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
To a first approximation, this setting controls the randomness and creativity of its output.
—Patrick House, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024
There’s this element of randomness to the precipitation of my medical treatment.
—Isabella Cueto, STAT, 8 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'randomness.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near randomness
Cite this Entry
“Randomness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/randomness. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.
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