randomness

noun

ran·​dom·​ness ˈran-dəm-nəs 

: 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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s also an element of randomness to when an earthquake happens, which can sometimes occur without any warning signs, the experts added. —Pranshu Verma, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2023

There’s also an element of randomness to when an earthquake happens, which can sometimes occur without any warning signs, the experts added. —Pranshu Verma, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Feb. 2023

When lots of events occur at the same time, our minds attempt to put the jumble in an order based on reason rather than randomness. —Richard Malena, Popular Mechanics, 26 Dec. 2022

That message has been harder to maintain as citizens became frustrated with the duration of this policy and its randomness. —Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2022

But the vibrant randomness here still provides a surprising peek into a familiar world. —Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 25 Nov. 2022

The current uncertain financial climate adds another element of randomness to the equation. —Tony Blengino, Forbes, 15 June 2022

There are some meteorological explanations for the warmer weather, and some randomness to it, experts said. —Meagan Ellsworth, Chron, 24 Dec. 2021

There is still a lot of randomness to where the worst outbreaks occur. —Alexis C. Madrigal, The Atlantic, 15 Aug. 2021

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Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined above