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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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 The number produced by Google is also pseudorandom. Christopher Lutsko, Scientific American, 30 Jan. 2024

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 16 Sep. 2025.

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