Nonrandom

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈnɑnɹændəm/

Definitions

1. Selected or occurring in a way that follows a specific pattern or is influenced by certain factors rather than by chance
2. Arranged or produced in a manner that follows particular guidelines or distinct influences instead of occurring purely by chance
3. Influenced by specific factors or patterns rather than occurring by chance, indicating a deliberate selection process

Etymology: The prefix began in Old English as "nān", a contraction of "ne" (not) and "ān" (one), so it originally meant "not one." Over the centuries it wore down into a general negating prefix, which is why it attaches so easily to adjectives like this one. "Random" has a more energetic past. It came into English from Old French "randon", meaning speed, force or a headlong rush, and from the verb "randir", to gallop. Both trace back to Germanic words for running. The earliest English sense was something like "great speed" or "impetuous force," and "at random" meant at full tilt. The haphazard sense of choosing without aim developed later. "Nonrandom" therefore negates a word that once described a reckless, headlong rush, and it now describes outcomes shaped by pattern or cause rather than chance.

Synonyms: deliberate, systematic, ordered, structured, methodical

Antonyms: random, arbitrary, haphazard, chaotic, unplanned