1.
[syn: randomly, indiscriminately, haphazardly, willy-nilly, arbitrarily, at random, every which way]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Random \Ran"dom\, a.
1. Going at random or by chance; done or made at hazard, or
without settled direction, aim, or purpose; hazarded
without previous calculation; left to chance; haphazard;
as, a random guess.
[1913 Webster]
Some random truths he can impart. --Wordsworth.
[1913 Webster]
So sharp a spur to the lazy, and so strong a bridle
to the random. --H. Spencer.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Statistics) Of, pertaining to, or resulting from a
process of selection from a starting set of items, in
which the probability of selecting any one object in the
starting set is equal to the probability of selecting any
other.
[PJC]
3. (Construction) of unequal size or shape; made from
components of unequal size or shape.
[PJC]
at random in a manner so that all possible results have an
equal probability of occurrence; for processes, each
possible result is counted separately although the same
type of result may occur more than once .
Random courses (Masonry), courses of stone of unequal
thickness.
Random shot, a shot not directed or aimed toward any
particular object, or a shot with the muzzle of the gun
much elevated.
Random work (Masonry), stonework consisting of stones of
unequal sizes fitted together, but not in courses nor
always with flat beds.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
at random
adv 1: in a random manner; "the houses were randomly scattered";
"bullets were fired into the crowd at random" [syn:
randomly, indiscriminately, haphazardly, willy-
nilly, arbitrarily, at random, every which way]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
63 Moby Thesaurus words for "at random":
aimlessly, any which way, anyhow, anywise, around, at haphazard,
at hazard, at intervals, at irregular intervals, brokenly,
by catches, by chance, by fits, by jerks, by snatches,
capriciously, carelessly, casually, desultorily, disconnectedly,
discontinuously, dysteleologically, eccentrically, erratically,
fitfully, haltingly, haphazard, haphazardly, helter-skelter,
hit or miss, in snatches, in spots, inconstantly, indiscriminately,
inexplicably, intermittently, irregularly, jerkily, lurchingly,
nonuniformly, off and on, patchily, promiscuously, purposelessly,
random, randomly, roughly, sloppily, spasmodically, sporadically,
spottily, stochastically, unaccountably, uncertainly, unevenly,
unmethodically, unpredictably, unrhythmically, unsteadily,
unsystematically, variably, whimsically, wobblingly