[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/random/)

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# random

adjective (random; more random, most random); noun (at random)

«random» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Random means happening or chosen with no plan, pattern or reason, so you cannot guess it beforehand. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/random/#m1)
2. Random (informal) means strange, unexpected or not connected to what is going on. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/random/#m2)
3. A random person or thing is just any one, not a special or known one. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/random/#m3)

### In the lessons

In maths, random choice is important for probability: picking a card «at random» means every card has the same chance. In science, samples are chosen at random to make a test fair. In everyday talk, «that was so random» means it was odd. Phrases: «at random», «random number», «a random person».

### Examples

- The teacher picked a name at random from the hat. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/random/#x1)
- Roll the dice to get a random number from one to six. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/random/#x2)
- The scientist chose ten random leaves to measure. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/random/#x3)
- He said something totally random about penguins. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/random/#x4)
- A random man on the bus asked me the time. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/random/#x5)
- The colours on the quilt were in a random order. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/random/#x6)
- If you pick a random marble, what is the chance it is red? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/random/#x7)
- Don't click on random links online. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/random/#x8)
- The pictures I have here given have not been chosen at random, but follow in their proper order, just as they were described to me. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/random/#x9)

### Note

Adjective, no plural. «At random» is a common phrase meaning «with no choice or plan». In maths, «random» does not mean «weird»; it means each outcome has a fair chance. Safety: do not open random messages or links from people you do not know.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «random» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/random/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«random» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/random.html) on Mova free.