randomness

English

Etymology

random +‎ -ness

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹændəmnəs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

randomness (usually uncountable, plural randomnesses)

1. The property of all possible outcomes being equally likely.
2. (mathematics) A type of circumstance or event that is described by a probability distribution.
3. A measure of the lack of purpose, logic, or objectivity of an event.

   There was no randomness in the teacher's selection of the class representative.

   • 2023 June 14, Philip Haigh, “Landslips: NR strives to turn back the tide”, in RAIL, number 985, page 35:

     " […] We were seeing a randomness about failures that was very hard to manage, but with a better understanding we're able to prioritise more effectively."

Derived terms

• algorithmic randomness
• Kolmogorov randomness
• pseudo-randomness
• statistical randomness

 

Related terms

• random
• at random

Translations

property of all possible outcomes being equally likely

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 隨機性／随机性 (zh) (suíjīxìng)

• Czech: náhodnost f
• French: hasard (fr) m
• German: Zufälligkeit (de) f
• Irish: randamacht f
• Polish: losowość (pl) f
• Slovak: náhodnosť

type of circumstance or event that is described by a probability distribution

• French: aléatoire (fr) m, aléa (fr) m, hasard (fr) m
• Irish: randamacht f
• Slovak: náhodnosť
• Swedish: slumpmässighet (sv) c

measure of the lack of purpose, logic, or objectivity of an event

• Czech: nahodilost f, libovolnost f
• Slovak: náhodnosť