Words / B2

RAND-uh-m/ˈrændəm/

Random means without a planned pattern: a random sample, random questions. Chance is close in everyday talk; arbitrary stresses a decision with no good reason, which is not the same. In research, random has a strict method sense (randomly selected). Randomly is the adverb. Informal speech sometimes uses random to mean “odd,” which is sloppy in essays.

Meaning

Happening without a plan or pattern.

Examples

• “The teacher asked random questions.”
• “Names were drawn at random from a hat.”
• “A random sample of 200 households received the survey.”

Good to know

at random / a random sample. Research sense is strict. Informal “odd” is not for essays.

Near in meaning

chance

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