random
- 01 B1 Intermediate
adj.happening by chance or without a specific plan or pattern.
adj.governed by or involving equal chances for each item; lacking a predictable pattern or conscious decision.
Simple“The computer picks a random winner from the list of email subscribers.”
In context“The researchers selected a random sample of participants to ensure the study's results were not biased by specific demographics.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.strange, unusual, or not connected to what is happening.
adj.unexpected or seemingly irrelevant in a given context; often used to describe a non sequitur or a bizarre occurrence.
Simple“It was so random to see my primary school teacher at a rock concert.”
In context“He kept making random comments about 19th-century history during our meeting about the marketing budget.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
n.a person you do not know or someone who does not belong in a specific group.
n.an unidentified or socially insignificant person; often used to describe an uninvited guest or a stranger.
Simple“I didn't recognize anyone at the party; it was just a room full of randoms.”
In context“The security guard refused to let some random into the backstage area without a proper pass.”
Antonyms
Usage random effect · random normal · random order
“Existing rules require at least 10% of pilots to be tested at random.”
“Manley said he had sold “hundreds” of random books to three buyers for a total of about £4,000.”
From earlier randon, from Middle English randoun, raundon, from Old French randon, from randir (“to run, gallop”) (whence French randonnée (“long walk, hike”)), from Frankish randiju (“a run, race”) or Old Norse rend (“a run, race”), both from Proto-Germanic randijō, from rinnaną (“run”, verb), from Proto-Indo-European (H)r̥-nw- (“to flow, move, run”). Cognate with Middle Low German uprinden (“to jump up”), Danish rende (“to run”). See run.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.