by selecting at random

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "by selecting at random" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when describing a method of choosing or picking items without any specific criteria, ensuring that each item has an equal chance of being selected. Example: "The participants for the study were chosen by selecting at random from a pool of volunteers."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

According to [16], these images are obtained by selecting at random two frames of video sequence and subtracting them in a pixel-wise fashion.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

In each of these sites the respective nucleotide was substituted by selecting at random (with equal probabilities) one of the four possible nucleotides.

Plosone

Randomly selected sequence networks (psRNA networks) were created by selecting at random unique ssRNA sized fragments of equal size distribution to the sequences in the publicly available ssRNA sequences of [18] and carrying out targeting predictions with these sequences as before.

Plosone

We sampled 75% of the herds, by selecting at random at least 20 serum samples per herd, from animals that were at least two months old.

BMC Veterinary Research

Efficiency of Fosmid library construction and the quality of the library were monitored by selecting at random 209 clones and subjecting them to different analyses.

BMC Genomics

After in silico PCR analysis and gel electrophoresis confirmation, the accuracy of InDel loci was further evaluated by selecting at random the amplification products to sequence.

BMC Genomics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

So much so that they would now actually be pretty okay if all of the lawmakers were replaced by people selected at random out of a phone book.

Huffington Post

However, when considering the effect of neighbours on the rate of whole cell area change, the dependence on the relative myosin phase of neighbours almost completely disappears (Fig. 1 j), reducing to an effect largely indistinguishable from randomised data in which neighbouring cells have been replaced by cells selected at random from the rest of the tissue (Additional file 4: Figure S4B).

BMC Biology

The larger panel was, by standard procedure, selected at random from the 23 active judges who had not recused themselves.

The New York Times

It is a fundamental principle of our justice system that someone accused of a serious offence is tried by a jury selected at random".

The Guardian

The "Hungry 8" as they have been nicknamed by many, were selected at random during the first trimester of their mothers' pregnancies.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a method where impartiality is key, use "by selecting at random" to clearly indicate the absence of bias in the selection process.

Common error

Avoid unnecessarily complex sentence structures when "by selecting at random" can be replaced with simpler alternatives like "randomly selected" or "through random selection" for improved clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "by selecting at random" functions as a prepositional phrase modifying a verb. It specifies the method by which something is chosen, emphasizing the lack of a deliberate pattern or bias. Ludwig AI explains that the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

70%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "by selecting at random" is a prepositional phrase used to indicate that a choice or selection was made without any specific pattern or bias. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and usable in English. While synonyms like "randomly selected" or "through random selection" may offer more concise alternatives, "by selecting at random" is suitable for contexts where clearly conveying the lack of bias is crucial. The phrase appears most frequently in science and news media sources and has a neutral register. Its use assures readers that the selection process was impartial.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

by picking at random

This alternative uses a more informal word ("picking") while retaining the core meaning.

through random selection

This alternative is a more concise and direct way of expressing the same concept.

via random choice

This alternative replaces "selecting" with "choice", emphasizing the act of choosing without a specific method.

by chance selection

This alternative uses "chance" to highlight the randomness element more explicitly.

using a random process

This alternative focuses on the process being random rather than the selecting action.

randomly chosen

This alternative uses an adjective to describe the items, implying the selection was random.

selected arbitrarily

This alternative replaces "at random" with "arbitrarily", which implies a lack of a system or pattern.

by haphazardly selecting

This alternative emphasizes the lack of care or planning in the selection.

through a lottery system

This alternative specifies a lottery as a method of random selection.

by indiscriminate selection

This alternative suggests that the selection doesn't consider any criteria.

FAQs

How can I use "by selecting at random" in a sentence?

Use "by selecting at random" to describe a process where items or individuals are chosen without any specific pattern or criteria, ensuring each has an equal chance of selection. For example: "The winners were chosen by "through random selection".

What's a simpler way to say "by selecting at random"?

Alternatives include "randomly selected", "through random selection", or "random choice". The best choice depends on the specific context and desired level of formality.

Which is more formal: "by selecting at random" or "randomly chosen"?

"By selecting at random" is slightly more formal and descriptive, whereas "randomly chosen" is more concise and can be suitable for less formal contexts.

Is "by selecting at random" the same as "arbitrarily selected"?

While similar, "arbitrarily selected" can imply a lack of reason or justification, whereas "by selecting at random" primarily indicates a lack of pattern or bias in the selection process.