random

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[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

From Middle English raundon, from Old French randon, from randir (“to gallop”) ( > French randonnée (“long walk, hike”)), of Germanic origin, from Frankish *rant, *rand (“a running”), from Proto-Germanic *randiō (“a running”), from Proto-Germanic base *rinnanan (“to run”), from Proto-Indo-European *ren- (“to rise; to sink”). See run.

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Noun

random (plural randoms)

  1. (obsolete) Speed, full speed; impetuosity, force. [14th-17th c.]
    • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book I.10:
      And therwith two of them dressid their sperys, and Ulfyus and Brastias dressid theire speres, and ranne to gyder with grete raundon.
  2. (obsolete) The full range of a bullet or other projectile; hence, the angle at which a weapon is tilted to allow the greatest range. [16th-19th c.]
    • 1624, John Smith, Generall Historie, in Kupperman 1988, p. 144:
      Fortie yards will they shoot levell, or very neare the marke, and 120 is their best at Random.
  3. (figuratively, colloquial) An undefined, unknown or unimportant person; a person of no consequence. [from 20th c.]
    The party was boring. It was full of randoms.

[edit] Synonyms

[edit] Translations

obsolete: speed, full speed; impetuosity, force
unimportant person

[edit] Adjective

random (comparative more random, superlative most random)

  1. Having unpredictable outcomes and, in the ideal case, all outcomes equally probable; resulting from such selection; lacking statistical correlation.
    The flip of a fair coin is purely random.
    The newspaper conducted a random sample of five hundred American teenagers.
    The results of the field survey look random by several different measures.
  2. (mathematics) Of or relating to probability distribution.
    A toss of loaded dice is still random, though biased.
  3. (computing) Pseudorandom in contrast to truly random; mimicking the result of random selection.
    The rand function generates a random number from a seed.
  4. (somewhat colloquial) Representative and undistinguished; typical and average; selected for no particular reason.
    A random American off the street couldn't tell the difference.
  5. (somewhat colloquial) Apropos of nothing; lacking context; unexpected; having apparent lack of plan, cause, or reason.
    That was a completely random comment.
    The teacher's bartending story was interesting, but random.
    The narrative takes a random course.
  6. (colloquial) Characterized by or often saying random things; habitually using non sequiturs.
    You're so random!

[edit] Synonyms

[edit] Derived terms

terms derived from random (adjective)

[edit] Translations

all outcomes being unpredictable
mathematics: of or relating to probability distribution
computing: pseudorandom
undistinguished, average
apropos of nothing
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Translations to be checked

[edit] See also

[edit] Anagrams

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