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
For people in the business who were learning—and effectively inventing—how to shoot these films, those first few years were chaotic and exciting.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 20 Dec. 2025
Timothée Chalamet gives an acting master class as a chaotic, success-hungry table tennis player desperate to strike up enough cash to compete in an international tournament.
—Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025
The deal comes at the end of what has been a chaotic 2025 for the cloud provider and a massive pullback in shares in recent months over concerns about its AI infrastructure spending.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2025
With the administration’s hardening attitude toward immigrants, asylum-seekers are struggling with a more chaotic environment and challenging bureaucracy.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chaotic
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Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 20 Dec. 2025
Timothée Chalamet gives an acting master class as a chaotic, success-hungry table tennis player desperate to strike up enough cash to compete in an international tournament.
—Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025
The deal comes at the end of what has been a chaotic 2025 for the cloud provider and a massive pullback in shares in recent months over concerns about its AI infrastructure spending.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2025
With the administration’s hardening attitude toward immigrants, asylum-seekers are struggling with a more chaotic environment and challenging bureaucracy.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 19 Dec. 2025
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 Dec. 2025.
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