random

Everyday

1. Random means happening or chosen with no plan, pattern or reason, so you cannot guess it beforehand. tree →
2. Random (informal) means strange, unexpected or not connected to what is going on. tree →
3. A random person or thing is just any one, not a special or known one. tree →

In the lessons

In maths, random choice is important for probability: picking a card «at random» means every card has the same chance. In science, samples are chosen at random to make a test fair. In everyday talk, «that was so random» means it was odd. Phrases: «at random», «random number», «a random person».

Examples

• The teacher picked a name at random from the hat. tree →
• Roll the dice to get a random number from one to six. tree →
• The scientist chose ten random leaves to measure. tree →
• He said something totally random about penguins. tree →
• A random man on the bus asked me the time. tree →
• The colours on the quilt were in a random order. tree →
• If you pick a random marble, what is the chance it is red? tree →
• Don't click on random links online. tree →
• The pictures I have here given have not been chosen at random, but follow in their proper order, just as they were described to me. tree →

Note

Adjective, no plural. «At random» is a common phrase meaning «with no choice or plan». In maths, «random» does not mean «weird»; it means each outcome has a fair chance. Safety: do not open random messages or links from people you do not know.