pseudorandom

adjective

pseu·​do·​ran·​dom ˌsü-dō-ˈran-dəm How to pronounce pseudorandom (audio)
: being or involving entities (such as numbers) that are selected by a definite computational process but that satisfy one or more standard tests for statistical randomness

Examples of pseudorandom in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The Delilah voice-encryption machine contained a key unit that generated the pseudorandom numbers used to obscure messages. IEEE Spectrum, 4 Feb. 2025 In Delilah’s case, the key was a stream of pseudorandom numbers—that is, random-seeming numbers that were not truly random. IEEE Spectrum, 4 Feb. 2025 Feeding the pseudorandom bits (instead of the random ones) into a probabilistic algorithm will result in an efficient deterministic one for the same problem. Quanta Magazine, 10 Apr. 2024 This world of pseudorandom numbers is exotic and full of open problems. Christopher Lutsko, Scientific American, 30 Jan. 2024 The number produced by Google is also pseudorandom. Christopher Lutsko, Scientific American, 30 Jan. 2024 To piece together the chemical image, the machine-learning model relies on the pseudorandom patterns the sandpaper casts on the sample to create what are called structured X-rays. IEEE Spectrum, 11 Jan. 2024 Mattheus and Verstraete now needed to prove that this graph was pseudorandom. Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 22 June 2023 Its movements are pseudorandom, controlled by a central pattern generator receiving input from a variety of environmental sensors. Evan Ackerman, IEEE Spectrum, 16 Jan. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pseudorandom was in 1949

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Cite this Entry

“Pseudorandom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pseudorandom. Accessed 20 May. 2025.

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