random walk

noun

: a process (such as Brownian motion or genetic drift) consisting of a sequence of steps (such as movements or changes in gene frequency) each of whose characteristics (such as magnitude and direction) is determined by chance

Examples of random walk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Many aspiring entrepreneurs let emotion and passion take them on a random walk which few survive. — Martin Zwilling, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025

One is a version of a random walk, where some agent wanders around haphazardly in a network that could represent, for example, the streets of a city. — Philip Ball, WIRED, 21 July 2024

Generally, stock prices follow a pattern similar to a random walk, meaning that past movements have no reliable bearing on future direction. — True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025

Fuller determined that for a red giant, this random walk would see a movement in a random direction at a speed of around 2,200 mph (3,540 km/h). — Robert Lea, Space.com, 22 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for random walk

• aftershock
• antiknock
• arawak
• hollyhock
• interlock
• manioc
• shuttlecock
• tomahawk
• weathercock
• alcock
• beanstalk
• bedrock