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)

Many Western artists and writers have been inspired by the I Ching. … The composer John Cage used it as a way to generate randomness and chance in his compositions, giving them their distinctive and often remarkable qualities.

—Heinz Insu Fenkl

… 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

The use of randomness in these oracular techniques creates an enigmatic black box effect – no one can explain just how the chance element embedded in these techniques connects with the answer that emerges. — Ambuj Tewari, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026

That randomness produces a faint electrical signal known as shot noise. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026

For that, their game — analyzing randomness and violence and doing so without offending our intelligence — has become as important to the American audience as The Game. — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Pattern recognition is impossible because everything is full of randomness, so there’s no formula to getting people to see a film. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined above