Definition of haphazard
: chance 1 this little remnant preserved by the haphazard of chance — Edith Hamilton take our principles at haphazard — John Locke
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Origin and Etymology of haphazard
1hap + hazard
First Known Use: 1569
haphazard
Definition of haphazard
: marked by lack of plan, order, or direction a haphazard assemblage of furniture not … a collection of haphazard schemes, but rather the orderly component parts of a connected and logical whole — F. D. Roosevelt
haphazard
adverbhaphazardly
adverbhaphazardness
nounExamples of haphazard in a Sentence
We were given a haphazard tour of the city.
considering the haphazard way you measured the ingredients, it's a wonder the cookies came out this good
Did You Know?
The "hap" in "haphazard" comes from an English word that means "happening," as well as "chance or fortune," and that derives from the Old Norse word happ, meaning "good luck." Perhaps it’s no accident that "hazard," as well, has its own connotations of luck: while it now refers commonly to something that presents danger, at one time it referred to a dice game similar to craps. (The name ultimately derives from the Arabic al-zahr, or "the die.") "Haphazard" first entered English as a noun (again meaning "chance") in the 16th century, and soon afterward was being used as an adjective to describe things with no apparent logic or order.
Origin and Etymology of haphazard
see 1haphazard
First Known Use: 1576
Synonym Discussion of haphazard
HAPHAZARD Defined for English Language Learners
haphazard
Definition of haphazard for English Language Learners
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: having no plan, order, or direction
HAPHAZARD Defined for Kids
haphazard
playDefinition of haphazard for Students
: marked by lack of plan, order, or direction We took a haphazard route.
haphazardly
adverbLearn More about haphazard
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See words that rhyme with haphazard Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for haphazard Spanish Central: Translation of haphazard Nglish: Translation of haphazard for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of haphazard for Arabic speakers
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