randomly picked

USAGE SUMMARY

"randomly picked" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a process where something has been selected by chance. For example, "Ten participants were randomly picked to take part in the clinical trial."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Juan Martin Hernandez (Randomly picked fly-half): Passing, Kicking (out of hand), Kicking (place), Tackling.

The Guardian - Sport

For the centre's ongoing study, students in colleges across London were randomly picked.

The Guardian

For each replacement mutant, one colony was randomly picked and cultured in BHI with Km.

Nature

Each of the randomly picked individuals was used to simulate "a putatively unknown" query for identification.

Nature

He had been randomly picked for an inspection at the Customs and Border Protection checkpoint.

The New York Times

In briefly, five images of each IHC-stained section were randomly picked under the same magnification.

Nature

Different number of simulated loci were randomly picked and used to identify species.

Nature

More than 50 randomly picked devices are measured.

Nanoscale Research Letters

200 clones were randomly picked out for insert-size characterization.

Botanical Studies

Next, four rural kebeles2 were randomly picked from both districts.

Agricultural and Food Economics

Out of the 1,300 correct entries, we randomly picked one winner and that person is….

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a study or experiment, use "randomly picked" to clearly indicate that participants or samples were chosen without any specific criteria, ensuring impartiality.

Common error

Avoid using "randomly picked" if the selection process was based on convenience or availability. True random selection requires a method where every item has an equal chance of being chosen.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "randomly picked" typically functions as a past participle phrase acting as an adjective, modifying a noun to indicate that the noun was selected or chosen in a random manner. As indicated by Ludwig, the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

75%

News & Media

15%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

"Randomly picked" is a versatile phrase used to describe selections made without bias, commonly functioning as an adjective. Ludwig confirms its correctness and usability across diverse contexts. Predominantly found in scientific literature, it also appears in news and formal business writing. While alternatives like ""randomly selected"" exist, it's crucial to ensure true randomness in the selection process, avoiding confusion with convenience sampling. Ultimately, "randomly picked" effectively communicates impartiality in various scenarios.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

randomly selected

Replaces the verb "picked" with "selected", offering a more formal tone while maintaining the meaning of selection by chance.

randomly chosen

Substitutes "picked" with "chosen", providing a slightly more deliberate sense of selection, yet still implying randomness.

selected at random

Reorders the words to emphasize the randomness of the selection process.

chosen at random

Similar to "selected at random" but uses "chosen" instead of "selected".

picked by chance

Replaces "randomly" with "by chance", directly indicating the selection method.

arbitrarily chosen

Replaces "randomly" with "arbitrarily", suggesting a selection based on no specific pattern or reason.

haphazardly selected

Uses "haphazardly" to emphasize the lack of a system in the selection process.

drawn randomly

Implies a drawing or lottery-like selection process.

selected without preference

Focuses on the impartiality of the selection, rather than the randomness itself.

selected in a non-biased way

Highlights the lack of bias in the selection process.

FAQs

How can I use "randomly picked" in a sentence?

You can use "randomly picked" to describe a selection process, such as "The winners were "randomly selected" from all eligible entries" or "Three samples were "randomly chosen" for the experiment."

What are some alternatives to "randomly picked"?

Depending on the context, you can use phrases like "selected at random", "arbitrarily chosen", or "selected without preference" to convey a similar meaning.

Is it better to use "randomly picked" or "randomly selected"?

Both "randomly picked" and ""randomly selected"" are grammatically correct and often interchangeable. "Randomly selected" might be perceived as slightly more formal, but the choice depends on the overall tone of your writing.

What does "randomly picked" imply about a selection process?

Using "randomly picked" indicates that each member of the group being selected from had an equal opportunity to be chosen, ensuring the selection process was unbiased and free from any pre-determined criteria.