Synonym Chooser

How is the word random distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words casual and haphazard are common synonyms of random. While all three words mean "determined by accident rather than design," random stresses lack of definite aim, fixed goal, or regular procedure.

a random selection of books

When is casual a more appropriate choice than random?

While in some cases nearly identical to random, casual suggests working or acting without deliberation, intention, or purpose.

a casual collector

When is it sensible to use haphazard instead of random?

Although the words haphazard and random have much in common, haphazard applies to what is done without regard for regularity or fitness or ultimate consequence.

a haphazard collection of rocks

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of random During an episode of The Drew Barrymore Show in October 2022, the talk show host and Victoria discussed their daughters’ random meeting while Barrymore was filming a movie in London. Ariana Quihuiz, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025 Their style of play on random nights in the regular season is really difficult to handle. Zach Harper, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 Scenes pivot between Ron’s main arc and seemingly random side plots, each of which deliver quick bursts of outlandish comedy. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2025 For weeks, the office manager told him, Wagner had been quietly underpaid by the insurance company Aetna on a seemingly random selection of higher level claims. Kenzi Abou-Sabe, NBC news, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for random
Recent Examples of Synonyms for random
Adjective
  • Michigan residents are in for another seasonable week, with cooler temperatures and scattered rain, according to the National Weather Service.
    Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 13 Oct. 2025
  • By comparison, campaign two felt more scattered and improvisational (befitting a D&D game).
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Beeber said speed limits on highways are arbitrary to some extent given their design.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025
  • What To Know On October 7, 2025, the State Department reaffirmed Level 2 travel advisories for both the Maldives and Equatorial Guinea, but expanded the risk profile for Equatorial Guinea, adding fresh warnings regarding arbitrary law enforcement.
    News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Titans lost Sunday to the Las Vegas Raiders, and their only win on the year came thanks to erratic mistakes by the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2025
  • While prone to dribble blindness and erratic form from the perimeter, Whitmore has blast-off quickness and finishing skills and is a ballhawking defender.
    John Hollinger, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • In Pecos, a West Texas oil-field town dotted with man camps, equipment yards, and the occasional roofless adobe structure melting into the scrub, packs of stray dogs congregated by the gas stations and the elementary schools.
    Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The singer had suffered severe head and spinal injuries in the accident near Baddi town when his motorcycle crashed into stray cattle in the road.
    Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • At the time, Anderson called it an accidental error.
    Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Oct. 2025
  • The Americans started brightly and confidently, getting control in midfield and probing with intent, but chances were rare, with the first real effort somewhat accidental as Zavier Gozo’s cross from the left clipped the top of the bar.
    The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Random.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/random. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on random

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!