1
: marked by chaos or being in a state of chaos : completely confused or disordered
a chaotic political race
After he became famous, his life became even more chaotic.
They may look chaotic and barbaric, but scrums are a critical and strategic part of the game, and they unfold and escalate according to hockey's venerated, unwritten rules of engagement.—
David Fleming
David FlemingTo the uninitiated visitor, the seemingly chaotic energy of a typical Thai market may give the impression of a free-for-all, …—Diane Ruengsom
Diane Ruengsom2
mathematics
: having outcomes that can vary widely due to extremely small changes in initial conditions
In other words, what comes out of the program's equations is extremely sensitive to what goes in. And that, as any mathematician would recognize, is one of the hallmarks of chaotic systems.—Ingrid Wickelgren
Ingrid WickelgrenA physical system—a weather system, say—is chaotic if a very slight change in initial conditions sends the system off on a very different course.—Physics Today
Physics TodayExamples of chaotic in a Sentence
a chaotic cellar sorely in need of some straightening up
Recent Examples on the Web
After several chaotic minutes with no cell phone service, mother and daughter finally reunited next to the plaza.
—Rick Jervis, USA Today, 14 Sep. 2025
In the movie Kilgore is at the center of a fiery, chaotic battle with helicopters flying overhead.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
The evening was slightly chaotic and quickly unsynchronized as the first dinner group, which included Sunisa Lee, Fabolous and more, ignored initial invitations to sit in lieu of sunset views of the East River from the 63rd floor balcony.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 13 Sep. 2025
Then there was the chaotic last-minute switch to hosting Sunday’s La Liga game against Valencia at the 6,000-capacity stadium by Barca’s training ground.
—Pol Ballús, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chaotic
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Rick Jervis, USA Today, 14 Sep. 2025
In the movie Kilgore is at the center of a fiery, chaotic battle with helicopters flying overhead.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
The evening was slightly chaotic and quickly unsynchronized as the first dinner group, which included Sunisa Lee, Fabolous and more, ignored initial invitations to sit in lieu of sunset views of the East River from the 63rd floor balcony.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 13 Sep. 2025
Then there was the chaotic last-minute switch to hosting Sunday’s La Liga game against Valencia at the 6,000-capacity stadium by Barca’s training ground.
—Pol Ballús, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chaotic
Cite this Entry
“Chaotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chaotic. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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