Standard Lemma guide

randomness

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈɹæn.dəm.nəs/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: R AE1 N D AH0 M N AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The property of all possible outcomes being equally likely.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A type of circumstance or event that is described by a probability distribution.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A measure of the lack of purpose, logic, or objectivity of an event.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Examples

  • There was no randomness in the teacher's selection of the class representative.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

the quality of lacking any predictable order or plan

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: haphazardness, stochasticity, noise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: irregularity, unregularity

Narrower terms: ergodicity

5

noun

Meaning 5

(thermodynamics) a thermodynamic quantity representing the amount of energy in a system that is no longer available for doing mechanical work

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • entropy increases as matter and energy in the universe degrade to an ultimate state of inert uniformity

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: entropy, S

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: physical property

Narrower terms: conformational entropy

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h3er- Proto-Indo-European *h3reyH-der. Proto-Germanic *rinnaną Proto-West Germanic *rinnan Frankish *randijubor. Old French randirder. Old French randonbor. Middle English randoun English randon English random Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh2yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h2ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English randomness From random + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 隨機性 /随机性 (suíjīxìng) — property of all possible outcomes being equally likely
  • Czech: náhodnost — property of all possible outcomes being equally likely
  • French: hasard — property of all possible outcomes being equally likely
  • German: Zufälligkeit — property of all possible outcomes being equally likely
  • Irish: randamacht — property of all possible outcomes being equally likely
  • Polish: losowość — property of all possible outcomes being equally likely
  • Portuguese: aleatoriedade — property of all possible outcomes being equally likely
  • Slovak: náhodnosť — property of all possible outcomes being equally likely
  • Thai: ความไม่มีแบบแผน — property of all possible outcomes being equally likely
  • Thai: การคาดเดาไม่ได้ — property of all possible outcomes being equally likely
  • Thai: การทํานายไม่ได้ — property of all possible outcomes being equally likely
  • French: aléatoire — type of circumstance or event that is described by a probability distribution
  • French: aléa — type of circumstance or event that is described by a probability distribution
  • French: hasard — type of circumstance or event that is described by a probability distribution
  • Irish: randamacht — type of circumstance or event that is described by a probability distribution
  • Slovak: náhodnosť — type of circumstance or event that is described by a probability distribution
  • Swedish: slumpmässighet — type of circumstance or event that is described by a probability distribution
  • Czech: nahodilost — measure of the lack of purpose, logic, or objectivity of an event
  • Czech: libovolnost — measure of the lack of purpose, logic, or objectivity of an event
  • Slovak: náhodnosť — measure of the lack of purpose, logic, or objectivity of an event