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 TodaySynonyms
Examples of chaotic in a Sentence
a chaotic cellar sorely in need of some straightening up
Recent Examples on the Web
At the chaotic ape colony on the beach, rusting hulks of massive ships loom out of blue waters, contrasting with red sails and white sand.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024
Given the general unpopularity of Biden, there is no reason to believe that students still smarting from the chaotic ending of this academic year will not reconvene to register their discontent.
—Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, The New Yorker, 8 May 2024
In the chaotic weeks since April 18, more than 2,600 people have been arrested on 50 campuses.
—Chris Pandolfo, Fox News, 8 May 2024
For tornadoes, with their violently rotating columns of air, damage often has a chaotic appearance, with larger uprooted trees often crossing each other.
—Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 8 May 2024
Venus likely started off with the same amount of water as Earth, but today the hellish world has 100,000 times less water than its sister planet
Around 4.5 billion years ago, Earth and Venus were born in the midst of a chaotic star system.
—Passant Rabie / Gizmodo, Quartz, 8 May 2024
In a tumultuous and chaotic final 10 minutes, Ariana Madix, Lala Kent, Scheana Shay, and Tom Sandoval broke the fourth wall and addressed the elephant in the room — that is, the fact that the group is actually filming a TV show.
—Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 7 May 2024
And then that would – that would end all of the – the trauma and the chaotic going on there in Gaza.
—CBS News, 5 May 2024
The series of moves comes just days after a chaotic meeting in which the secretive Ethics Committee voted in open session to dismiss the complaint against Plocher.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2024
Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024
Given the general unpopularity of Biden, there is no reason to believe that students still smarting from the chaotic ending of this academic year will not reconvene to register their discontent.
—Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, The New Yorker, 8 May 2024
In the chaotic weeks since April 18, more than 2,600 people have been arrested on 50 campuses.
—Chris Pandolfo, Fox News, 8 May 2024
For tornadoes, with their violently rotating columns of air, damage often has a chaotic appearance, with larger uprooted trees often crossing each other.
—Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 8 May 2024
Venus likely started off with the same amount of water as Earth, but today the hellish world has 100,000 times less water than its sister planet
Around 4.5 billion years ago, Earth and Venus were born in the midst of a chaotic star system.
—Passant Rabie / Gizmodo, Quartz, 8 May 2024
In a tumultuous and chaotic final 10 minutes, Ariana Madix, Lala Kent, Scheana Shay, and Tom Sandoval broke the fourth wall and addressed the elephant in the room — that is, the fact that the group is actually filming a TV show.
—Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 7 May 2024
And then that would – that would end all of the – the trauma and the chaotic going on there in Gaza.
—CBS News, 5 May 2024
The series of moves comes just days after a chaotic meeting in which the secretive Ethics Committee voted in open session to dismiss the complaint against Plocher.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chaotic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near chaotic
Cite this Entry
“Chaotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chaotic. Accessed 14 May. 2024.
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