1
: marked by chaos or being in a state of chaos : completely confused or disordered
a chaotic political race
After he became famous, his life became even more chaotic.
They may look chaotic and barbaric, but scrums are a critical and strategic part of the game, and they unfold and escalate according to hockey's venerated, unwritten rules of engagement.—
David Fleming
David FlemingTo the uninitiated visitor, the seemingly chaotic energy of a typical Thai market may give the impression of a free-for-all, …—Diane Ruengsom
Diane Ruengsom2
mathematics
: having outcomes that can vary widely due to extremely small changes in initial conditions
In other words, what comes out of the program's equations is extremely sensitive to what goes in. And that, as any mathematician would recognize, is one of the hallmarks of chaotic systems.—Ingrid Wickelgren
Ingrid WickelgrenA physical system—a weather system, say—is chaotic if a very slight change in initial conditions sends the system off on a very different course.—Physics Today
Physics TodayExamples of chaotic in a Sentence
a chaotic cellar sorely in need of some straightening up
Recent Examples on the Web
While the first debate, hosted by Nexstar on April 22, was relatively calm, the subsequent three debates were more chaotic, often serving as an opportunity for candidates to lob accusations at one another.
—James Ward, USA Today, 15 May 2026
The state Supreme Court’s ruling on Tuesday upheld the map as legal, but also ushered in a chaotic moment in Kansas City and across Missouri.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026
With so many returnees and new era players, everyone is a superfan, and no one is playing like a chaotic mess.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 14 May 2026
Sliding effortlessly from incisive observer to chaotic flirt to exhausting narcissist, Firstman is never not in on the joke.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for chaotic
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James Ward, USA Today, 15 May 2026
The state Supreme Court’s ruling on Tuesday upheld the map as legal, but also ushered in a chaotic moment in Kansas City and across Missouri.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026
With so many returnees and new era players, everyone is a superfan, and no one is playing like a chaotic mess.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 14 May 2026
Sliding effortlessly from incisive observer to chaotic flirt to exhausting narcissist, Firstman is never not in on the joke.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for chaotic
Cite this Entry
“Chaotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chaotic. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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