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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In their new paper, Bach and Huiberts relied on even more randomness in their algorithm to show that runtimes are guaranteed to be significantly lower than what had previously been established. Quanta Magazine, 13 Oct. 2025 In fact, those running the Yankees’ baseball operations will be the first to admit that luck and randomness play a bigger role in reality than most fans are willing to accept, especially in the postseason. Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 Co-written by Bentley with Greg Kwedar (the primary creative team behind ‘Sing Sing’), ‘Train Dreams’ thrives on its philosophical inquiries into the earthly randomness of events that make up a life. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2025 Differential privacy introduces controlled noise or randomness to datasets, obscuring individual details while maintaining collective patterns. IEEE Spectrum, 23 Sep. 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 Oct. 2025.

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