unsorting
Reversing an arrangement
Unsorting is the act of reversing or undoing an arranged order, returning sorted items to a jumbled or random state.
In computing, unsorting restores data to its original sequence before a sort was applied: After reviewing the alphabetized list, she unsorted it back to chronological order.
The word also describes the natural tendency of organized things to become disorganized again.
Randomizing order of items
- jumblingMixing into disorder
- scramblingMoving clumsily in haste
- randomizingMaking selection by chance
- mixingCombining into one mass
disarranging · muddling · rearranging · scattering · dispersing · displacing · disturbing · unsettling
Lack of order
- disorderAbsence of organization
- pandemoniumState of utter confusion
- turmoilViolent disturbance or confusion
- bedlamState of wild disorder
mayhem · havoc · anarchy · tumult · commotion · upheaval · disruption · confusion
Untidy collection of items
- jumbleConfused disorderly collection
- tangleTwisted mass of strands
- muddleDisordered, bewildered state
- scatterDistribute in random directions
heap · pile · litter · dishevelment · disorganization · untidiness · hodgepodge · mishmash
Lack of predictable pattern
- disorderAbsence of organization
- thermodynamicsScience of heat-energy relationships
- information theoryMathematics of encoding signals
- second lawEntropy inevitably rises
irreversibility · degradation · decay · dissipation · diffusion · equilibrium · disintegration · dissolution
shuffling
Randomizing order of items
- jumblingMixing into disorder
- scramblingMoving clumsily in haste
- randomizingMaking selection by chance
mixing · disarranging · muddling · rearranging · scattering · dispersing · displacing · disturbing · unsettling · disheveling
disarray
Lack of order
- disorderAbsence of organization
- pandemoniumState of utter confusion
- turmoilViolent disturbance or confusion
bedlam · mayhem · havoc · anarchy · tumult · commotion · upheaval · disruption · confusion · shambles
clutter
Untidy collection of items
scatter · heap · pile · litter · dishevelment · disorganization · untidiness · hodgepodge · mishmash · patchwork
randomness
Lack of predictable pattern
- disorderAbsence of organization
- thermodynamicsScience of heat-energy relationships
- information theoryMathematics of encoding signals
second law · irreversibility · degradation · decay · dissipation · diffusion · equilibrium · disintegration · dissolution · chaos theory
unsortingsorting
Arranging into sequence
arranging · ordering · organizing · putting in order · categorizing
unsortingclassifying
Sorting into types
categorizing · grouping · segregating · separating · differentiating
sort, assorted, resort, assortment, sorted, sorting, resorted, consort, sorter