Sure! Let's break down the phrase "at random."
"At random" is an adverbial phrase that means something is done in a way that is not planned or organized. Instead of being chosen or arranged in a particular order, things happen by chance.
You can use "at random" when you want to express that something is selected or occurs without any specific pattern or reason. It is often used in situations involving selection, choices, or occurrences.
In more complex contexts, "at random" can be used in statistical or experimental discussions. For example: - "The participants were selected at random to ensure an unbiased sample." (This means participants were chosen without any bias, to represent a larger group fairly.)
There are no direct variants of "at random," but you can use related words like: - Randomly (the adverb form): "The numbers were generated randomly." - Randomness (noun): "The randomness of the selection process was questioned."
"At random" specifically refers to chance or lack of order. There are no widely accepted alternate meanings for this phrase, but it can be metaphorically used in various contexts to imply unpredictability.
Some synonyms for "at random" include: - By chance - Haphazardly - Randomly
While "at random" is not part of any specific idiom, it can be used in phrases such as: - "Pick at random": To choose something without a specific reason. - "Choose at random": Similar to pick, indicating no specific criteria in selection.
In summary, "at random" means that something is done without any order or plan, purely by chance. You can use it in everyday conversation and writing to describe situations where choices or occurrences are unpredictable.