randomness

noun

ran·​dom·​ness ˈran-dəm-nəs How to pronounce randomness (audio)
: 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
the randomness of life

Examples of randomness in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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However, this season has also gone on to prove that the mental trials and tribulations (and sometimes the randomness) can make baseball the most unpredictable sport. Tyler Small, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025 How the novelist turned the violence and randomness of war into a cosmic joke On August 5, 1945—the day before the world ended—Frank Sinatra was at a yacht club in San Pedro, California. Noah Hawley, The Atlantic, 2 July 2025 Playoffs, as Beane poignantly alluded to, are so fraught with randomness that the most diligent planning and roster building still can’t always prepare teams for the second season. Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 15 May 2025 The murders were eventually picked up by tabloids — particularly the Daily News and the New York Post — which increased fear around the randomness of the targets. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for randomness

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of randomness was in 1803

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Cite this Entry

“Randomness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/randomness. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.

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