randomly
In no order
Randomly means without pattern, purpose, or predictable order.
Events that occur randomly follow no discernible sequence: Names were randomly selected from a hat.
In casual speech, randomly often means unexpectedly or for no apparent reason: She randomly texted me after two years of silence.
This looser sense irritates purists but has become standard in informal contexts.
In an inconsistent manner
- inconsistentlyIn an unreliable manner
- variablyIn differing amounts
- irregularlyNot following a pattern
- fitfullyIn irregular bursts
spasmodically · changeably · unstably · unreliably · unevenly · capriciously · haphazardly · hit-or-miss
Without order or plan
- indiscriminatelyWithout making distinctions
- capriciouslyIn unpredictable fashion
- whimsicallyIn capricious, playful manner
- unsystematicallyWithout organized method
aimlessly · erratically · groundlessly · irrationally · baselessly · unjustifiably · willfully · unreasoningly
Without forethought or preparation
- impromptuWithout advance preparation
- off the cuffSpontaneous, unrehearsed speech
- on a whimWithout forethought or reason
- impulsivelyWithout prior deliberation
extemporaneously · ad hoc · spur-of-the-moment · offhandedly · instinctively · on impulse
In various places
- sporadicallyAt irregular intervals
- intermittentlyAt irregular intervals
- sparselyIn a thin manner
- unevenlyIn irregular manner
irregularly · patchily · spread out · sprinkled · strewn · interspersed · peppered · at intervals
Occurring without design
- fortuitouslyBy lucky accident
- serendipitouslyBy pleasant surprise
- coincidentallyOccurring together unplanned
- accidentallyWithout intent or design
unexpectedly · luckily · unluckily · providentially · by accident · incidentally
erratically
In an inconsistent manner
- inconsistentlyIn an unreliable manner
- variablyIn differing amounts
- irregularlyNot following a pattern
fitfully · spasmodically · changeably · unstably · unreliably · unevenly · capriciously · haphazardly · hit-or-miss · willy-nilly
haphazardly
Without order or plan
- indiscriminatelyWithout making distinctions
- capriciouslyIn unpredictable fashion
- whimsicallyIn capricious, playful manner
unsystematically · aimlessly · erratically · groundlessly · irrationally · baselessly · unjustifiably · willfully · unreasoningly · subjectively
spontaneously
Without forethought or preparation
- impromptuWithout advance preparation
- off the cuffSpontaneous, unrehearsed speech
- on a whimWithout forethought or reason
impulsively · extemporaneously · ad hoc · spur-of-the-moment · offhandedly · instinctively · on impulse
here and there
In various places
- sporadicallyAt irregular intervals
- intermittentlyAt irregular intervals
- sparselyIn a thin manner
unevenly · irregularly · patchily · spread out · sprinkled · strewn · interspersed · peppered · at intervals · diffusely
by chance
Occurring without design
- fortuitouslyBy lucky accident
- serendipitouslyBy pleasant surprise
- coincidentallyOccurring together unplanned
accidentally · unexpectedly · luckily · unluckily · providentially · by accident · incidentally
- -ly adverbsaccidentally, unexpectedly, luckily, fortunately, coincidentally
- adverbsquickly, slowly, very, really, now
- suddennesssudden, suddenly, abrupt, abruptly, instant
- infrequencyrarely, seldom, infrequent, infrequently, occasionally
- cryptic cluesanagram, hidden, reversal, homophone, container
randomlysystematically
In organized, planned fashion
methodically · orderly · meticulously · sequentially · regularly
randomlydeliberately
Done with intention
intentionally · purposefully · purposely · on purpose · advisedly
randomlypredictably
In an expected manner
regularly · uniformly · consistently · deterministically · periodically
- at randomWithout deliberate selection
- random numberValue chosen by chance
- random thoughtUnprompted mental occurrence
- random mishapUnplanned unfortunate occurrence
- random selectionChoosing without systematic bias
- random samplePortion selected by chance
random, randomness, randomize, nonrandom, randomization, randomised, randomise, randomises, randomizer