randers
HighCommon in all registers from informal to academic
Definition
Meaning
Having no specific pattern, purpose, or objective; occurring without method or conscious decision.
In statistics, unpredictable; in computing, generated by a pseudo-random process; colloquially, unexpected, arbitrary, or odd.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies a lack of order or predictability. In technical contexts (statistics, computing), it has precise definitions. In casual use, it can mean 'odd' or 'unexpected'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical. 'At random' is the standard phrase in both.
Connotations
Both share core meaning. Informal use to describe something/someone as 'weird' or 'unpredictable' is common in both.
Frequency
Equally frequent.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
adjective + noun (a random choice)verb + at random (select at random)seem + random (it seems random)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “at random (without a method)”
- “random act of kindness”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in 'random sampling' for market research or quality control.
Academic
Crucial in statistics ('random variable'), scientific methodology ('randomised controlled trial'), and computing.
Everyday
Describing unexpected events or arbitrary choices. Informally describes people or things as strange.
Technical
In computing, refers to pseudo-random number generation; in statistics, to processes governed by probability.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- (Not standard as a verb)
American English
- (Not standard as a verb)
adverb
British English
- Names were drawn randomly from a hat. (less common collocation than 'at random')
American English
- The numbers are generated randomly by the computer.
adjective
British English
- The committee made a random selection from the list.
- He's a bit of a random bloke, to be honest.
American English
- We took a random sample of the population.
- That was such a random comment.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The teacher chose a student at random.
- It was a random meeting.
- The survey uses a random selection of people.
- I had a random thought about my holiday.
- The results were analysed using a random effects model.
- His behaviour seems completely random and unpredictable.
- The algorithm relies on a cryptographically secure random number generator.
- The distribution of errors appeared random, ruling out systematic bias.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'RAN' + 'DOM' - Imagine a person named Ran running around a dome (dom) in a completely unpredictable, haphazard way.
Conceptual Metaphor
LACK OF CONTROL IS RANDOMNESS (e.g., 'My life feels so random right now').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'рандомный' (which is a direct borrowing and carries a strong informal/computing connotation). In formal English, 'random' is neutral. The Russian borrowing often implies 'weird' more strongly.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'randomly' when 'at random' is the fixed phrase (e.g., 'We picked one at random' NOT 'We picked one randomly' – though 'randomly' is also an adverb, 'at random' is the collocation). Confusing 'arbitrary' (based on whim) with 'random' (based on chance).
Practice
Quiz
Which phrase is the most common and natural collocation?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in technical and scientific contexts (e.g., random sample). In informal speech, it is also used to mean 'odd' or 'unexpected'.
'Random' implies chance and no pattern. 'Arbitrary' implies a decision based on personal whim rather than reason or rules, not necessarily by chance.
Informally, yes (e.g., 'a bunch of randoms' meaning unfamiliar people). In statistics, 'a random' is short for 'a random variable'. It's not a core noun use.
Yes, it is the standard adverb (e.g., 'distributed randomly'). However, in the phrase for unsystematic selection, 'at random' is more idiomatic than 'randomly'.