Definitions
01by chance
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.
日本語:ランダム※
“The computer picks a random winner from the list of email subscribers.”
“The researchers selected a random sample of participants to ensure the study's results were not biased by specific demographics.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02unexpected or odd
B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal
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.
“It was so random to see my primary school teacher at a rock concert.”
“He kept making random comments about 19th-century history during our meeting about the marketing budget.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03an unknown person
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Informal · Slang
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.
“I didn't recognize anyone at the party; it was just a room full of randoms.”
“The security guard refused to let some random into the backstage area without a proper pass.”
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “random” in context.
Adjective
01. random order
“The music player shuffled the songs and played them in a random order.”
adj + noun
02. random sample
“Researchers interviewed a random sample of voters to predict the election results.”
adj + noun
03. random sampling
“Random sampling ensures that every member of the population has an equal chance of being chosen.”
adj + noun
04. random selection
“The winner was chosen by a random selection of names from the hat.”
adj + noun
Real-World Examples
“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.” Etymology
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.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Idioms
01. Joe Random
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/random
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「日本語」「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0