random

random — adjective

1. occurring without being planned, chosen, or guided by any rule or intention — si

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

occurring without being planned, chosen, or guided by any rule or intention — simply as a result of luck or accident.

Example

The winner was chosen by a random draw from all the tickets sold.

collocation: random draw / random selection

A random check of bags at the airport caught several banned items.

collocation: random check

Common collocations
  • random sample
  • random selection
  • random check
  • random draw
  • random test
  • random number
Synonyms
  • chance

    used attributively; 'a chance meeting' vs 'a random meeting' — chance emphasises luck more than lack of plan

  • haphazard

    stronger negative connotation of carelessness or disorder

  • arbitrary

    suggests a decision based on whim rather than chance

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

random + noun

be + random

Usage Note

In academic and survey contexts, 'random' has a precise statistical meaning (equal probability for each item). Outside those contexts, it simply means 'by chance'. The phrase 'at random' is the adverbial form.

Common Mistakes

I bought a random gift for no reason.
I bought an random gift without thinking about it.
'random' describes lack of plan, not absence of a reason.

2. strange, surprising, or far from what you would normally expect, often striking

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

strange, surprising, or far from what you would normally expect, often striking you as funny or oddly interesting.

Example

Gabriel sent me a random photo of a cat wearing a hat.

informal: 'random' describing unexpected content

That is such a random fact — I did not know penguins lived in Africa.

Common collocations
  • random thought
  • random fact
  • random thing
  • random question
  • so random
Synonyms
  • odd

    neutral, slightly milder in tone

  • weird

    suggests something unnatural or unsettling

  • peculiar

    formal, suggests something distinctive and unusual

Antonyms
  • normal

    what you would typically expect

  • ordinary

    commonplace, not remarkable in any way

Grammar Patterns

random + noun

be + random

that is so random

Usage Note

Very common in spoken English among younger speakers. Often used in the fixed expression 'that's so random!' to react to something odd or unexpected. Not used in formal writing.

Common Mistakes

❌ 'That is random!' (in a formal essay) — avoid this sense in academic or professional writing; use 'odd' or 'unexpected' instead.

3. used to describe a person you do not know, did not expect, or whose identity is

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

used to describe a person you do not know, did not expect, or whose identity is not important in the situation.

Example

A random woman stopped Niran on the street and asked for directions.

Tara got a call from some random guy who claimed to be a talent agent.

Common collocations
  • random person
  • random stranger
  • random guy
  • random caller
Synonyms
  • unknown

    neutral, more formal

  • unidentified

    formal, often used in police or official contexts

  • some

    informal; 'some guy' conveys the same dismissive tone

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

random + person noun

Usage Note

Always used before a noun like 'person', 'guy', 'stranger', 'passenger'. Cannot be used predicatively for this sense: 'The person was random' sounds like sense 2 (strange), not sense 3 (unknown).

4. done, chosen, or taken without following a particular order, rule, or selection

4.adjectiveB2
Definition

done, chosen, or taken without following a particular order, rule, or selection method.

Example

The teacher asked random students to answer questions from the textbook.

describes method: no particular order

Amihan opened the drawer and grabbed a random pair of socks.

Common collocations
  • random order
  • random selection
  • random test
  • random check
  • random pick
Synonyms
  • arbitrary

    more negative, suggests unfair or unreasonable choices

  • indiscriminate

    formal; describes action that does not distinguish between good and bad

  • unsystematic

    neutral, describes something not done in a methodical way

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

random + noun (method/process)

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 describes an outcome that happens BY chance ('a random event'), while this sense describes a method done WITHOUT a system ('a random choice'). The two often overlap but are not identical.

random — noun

random — adverb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words describe events or choices that lack deliberate planning, but they differ in tone and context. 'Random' is the most neutral and widely used: a random event is simply one that happens without a plan or pattern ('a random number', 'a random encounter'). 'Arbitrary' carries a stronger negative charge — it suggests a decision made on personal whim or bias, often unreasonably: 'The dress code seemed arbitrary and unfair.' 'Haphazard' emphasises disorder and carelessness: 'The papers were piled in a haphazard way.' 'Chance' (used attributively) focuses on luck or fortune: 'a chance meeting' cannot be planned, while a 'random meeting' might simply lack a plan. 'Accidental' is narrower: it describes something that happens unintentionally, usually with a concrete outcome, such as an accident or mistake. For everyday situations, 'random' is your safest choice; use 'arbitrary' when you want to criticise a decision, and 'accidental' when the result was not intended.

random ↗arbitrary ↗haphazardchance ↗accidental ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • at random
  • random act of kindness
  • purely random
  • completely random
  • random sampling

Prepositions

  • at random
  • by random chance

Etymology

Old FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'random' entered English in the 1300s from the Old French 'randon', meaning 'impetuosity, speed, force'. It is related to the verb 'randir' (to run fast). In Middle English, 'random' first appeared in phrases like 'at random', meaning 'at great speed' or 'with great force', and gradually shifted to mean 'without aim or direction'. By the 1500s, the modern sense of 'by chance, without a plan' had become established. The statistical and technical use dates from the 1800s, as probability theory grew in mathematics.