randomly

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "randomly" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to describe something happening or being done in no particular order or plan. For example, you could say "The teacher randomly selected three students to go to the board".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The second polling anxiety ahead of 2015 affected telephone polls, where such biases were not previously thought to be such a problem because randomly selected respondents don't have to do anything more than pick up a call.

The Guardian - Opinion

Patients were randomly divided so that neither group was skewed in terms of fitness levels.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

"Ms Bensley was tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time and was randomly picked out by the pair, believing that she was a man and that she was wearing a gold bracelet".

The Guardian

Whatever hand, human or randomly digital, is guiding the programming over at Netflix, they are to be commended on consistently turning up the most pleasingly unexpected documentaries.

The Guardian - Film

Some concluded that, during the REM phase, chemical messaging from the pons activated higher areas of the brain, prodding them to produce images and sensations, completely randomly.

The Guardian - Opinion

This is movie mogul madness at its zany best because it will be recalled that Ecclestone has spent a good deal of energy wrestling grand prix away from northern Europe (where water sprays randomly on the circuit via a process known to scientists as "rain") and staging them instead in the Middle East (where it doesn't).

The Guardian - Sport

Larry Page and Sergey Brin [the founders of Google] did not stumble randomly on the idea that they had a special obligation not to be evil.

The Guardian - Tech

Related: You need a friend: why peer support is key to surviving humanitarian work I was randomly outed by my work colleagues in Ethiopia, a country where homosexuality is illegal and highly homophobic.

The Guardian

Like a typical Tweetbot, the program adds the words to a randomly selected picture of Kim Jong-un before tweeting them as @NK_markov.

The Guardian

Inspired by the release of 310 new political propaganda slogans by North Korea last week, Eric Drass, a painter and digital artist based in the UK, has used a mathematical algorithm to randomly generate a new set of political phrases.

The Guardian

The prints were taken when he was randomly stopped at Heathrow as he returned to the UK from Syria two months after the soldier's death.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

To enhance clarity, avoid placing "randomly" too far from the verb it modifies, especially in complex sentences. Ensure the adverb's proximity to the action it describes to prevent ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "randomly" when you actually mean 'unexpectedly' or 'unusually'. True randomness implies a statistically unbiased process, not just something surprising.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "randomly" is as an adverb, modifying verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to indicate that an action or event occurs without a specific pattern, purpose, or predictability. Ludwig AI confirms this through numerous examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

52%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "randomly" functions as an adverb signifying that something occurs without a discernible pattern or intention. Ludwig AI confirms that it sees prevalent use across diverse contexts like news, science, and formal business. The adverb is grammatically sound, enjoying a neutral register and frequent appearances in authoritative sources like The Guardian and The Economist. When writing, ensure that "randomly" is used to accurately convey the absence of bias, distinguishing it from mere unexpectedness. Considering its alternatives, like ""arbitrarily"" or ""by chance"", can add precision to your expression.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

At random

A very close synonym, differing primarily in structure.

Arbitrarily

Highlights the lack of reason or system in the selection or occurrence.

Without order

Directly points out the lack of sequence or arrangement.

Without a pattern

Directly states the absence of a predictable sequence.

Unpredictably

Stresses the inability to foresee the outcome or sequence.

Haphazardly

Implies a disorganized and chaotic approach.

In a haphazard manner

Emphasizes the lack of planning or organization more strongly than "randomly".

Indiscriminately

Suggests a lack of selectivity or bias.

By chance

Focuses on the accidental nature of the event.

By accident

Focuses on the unintentional nature of the event's occurrence.

FAQs

How can I use "randomly" in a sentence?

You can use "randomly" to describe an action done without a specific method or order. For example, "The students were "randomly selected" to participate in the study".

What are some alternatives to using "randomly"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "arbitrarily", "haphazardly", or "by chance" to convey a similar meaning.

Is it correct to say something was "randomly chosen"?

Yes, "randomly chosen" is a correct and commonly used phrase. It indicates that the selection was made without any specific criteria or bias. The phrase is interchangeable with "arbitrarily chosen" in several contexts.

What's the difference between "randomly" and "accidentally"?

"Randomly" implies a lack of pattern or method, while "accidentally" implies an unintentional or unplanned event. If something happens "accidentally", it wasn't meant to happen; if it happens "randomly", there was no intention behind its specific occurrence.