The difference between Random and Unexpected

When used as adjectives, random means having unpredictable outcomes and, in the ideal case, all outcomes equally probable, whereas unexpected means not expected, anticipated or foreseen.


Random is also noun with the meaning: a roving motion.

check bellow for the other definitions of Random and Unexpected

  1. Random as a noun:

    A roving motion; course without definite direction; lack of rule or method; chance.

  2. Random as a noun (obsolete):

    Speed, full speed; impetuosity, force.

  3. Random as a noun (obsolete):

    The full range of a bullet or other projectile; hence, the angle at which a weapon is tilted to allow the greatest range.

  4. Random as a noun (figuratively, colloquial):

    An undefined, unknown or unimportant person; a person of no consequence.

    Examples:

    "The party was boring. It was full of randoms."

  5. Random as a noun (mining):

    The direction of a rake-vein.

  1. Random as an adjective:

    Having unpredictable outcomes and, in the ideal case, all outcomes equally probable; resulting from such selection; lacking statistical correlation.

    Examples:

    "The flip of a fair coin is purely random."

    "The newspaper conducted a random sample of five hundred American teenagers."

    "The results of the field survey look random by several different measures."

  2. Random as an adjective (mathematics):

    Of or relating to probability distribution.

    Examples:

    "A toss of loaded dice is still random, though biased."

  3. Random as an adjective (computing):

    Pseudorandom; mimicking the result of random selection.

    Examples:

    "The <tt>rand</tt> function generates a random number from a seed."

  4. Random as an adjective (somewhat colloquial):

    Representative and undistinguished; typical and average; selected for no particular reason.

    Examples:

    "A random American off the street couldn't tell the difference."

  5. Random as an adjective (somewhat colloquial):

    Apropos of nothing; lacking context; unexpected; having apparent lack of plan, cause or reason.

    Examples:

    "That was a completely random comment."

    "The teacher's bartending story was interesting, but random."

    "The narrative takes a random course."

  6. Random as an adjective (colloquial):

    Characterized by or often saying random things; habitually using non sequiturs.

    Examples:

    "You're so random!"

  1. Unexpected as an adjective:

    Not expected, anticipated or foreseen.