pseudorandom

adjective

pseu·​do·​ran·​dom ˌsü-dō-ˈran-dəm How to pronounce pseudorandom (audio)
: being or involving entities (such as numbers) that are selected by a definite computational process but that satisfy one or more standard tests for statistical randomness

Examples of pseudorandom in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The Delilah voice-encryption machine contained a key unit that generated the pseudorandom numbers used to obscure messages. IEEE Spectrum, 4 Feb. 2025 Feeding the pseudorandom bits (instead of the random ones) into a probabilistic algorithm will result in an efficient deterministic one for the same problem. Quanta Magazine, 10 Apr. 2024 This world of pseudorandom numbers is exotic and full of open problems. Christopher Lutsko, Scientific American, 30 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pseudorandom was in 1949

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Cite this Entry

“Pseudorandom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pseudorandom. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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