randomly

[ ran-duhm-lee ]

adverb

1. without definite aim, reason, sense, or pattern:

   This poem just seems like a bunch of words randomly put together.

   Freckles generally appear randomly on the face and upper shoulders.

2. Statistics. in a way that gives each item in a set the equal probability of being chosen:

   A survey of 309 women aged 15 to 49 was conducted in nine randomly selected villages.

Other Words From

• non·ran·dom·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of randomly¹

random ( def ) + -ly

Example Sentences

In classical chaos, a particle would bounce around randomly and unpredictably -- eventually covering the entire surface.

From Science Daily

"Why did I randomly get a severe weather alert? What’s going on?" one person wrote on X.

From BBC

Cells don’t generally need both, so during embryonic development each cell randomly chooses one X to express genes from.

From Science Magazine

Per the study, when insects carrying the cassette are introduced into a target population, they mate randomly and transmit the e-Drive cassette to their offspring.

From Science Daily

It compared the function and safety of reconditioned pacemakers to new devices, with patients randomly assigned one or the other.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• haphazard
• headlong
• jumbled