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
But one wild, dare-we-say chaotic month can change things, and the Pirates wouldn’t mind following Detroit’s blueprint.
—Tim Britton, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
But the damage — some of it self-inflicted — was done during a chaotic first half.
—Stuart James, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
Hate and chaotic disruption are quite another.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 24 Mar. 2025
But navigating the federal student loan system in the current chaotic environment may be challenging for many borrowers, to say the least.
—Adam S. Minsky, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chaotic
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Tim Britton, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
But the damage — some of it self-inflicted — was done during a chaotic first half.
—Stuart James, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
Hate and chaotic disruption are quite another.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 24 Mar. 2025
But navigating the federal student loan system in the current chaotic environment may be challenging for many borrowers, to say the least.
—Adam S. Minsky, Forbes, 24 Mar. 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 17 Apr. 2025.
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