random walk

noun

: a process (such as Brownian motion or genetic drift) consisting of a sequence of steps (such as movements or changes in gene frequency) each of whose characteristics (such as magnitude and direction) is determined by chance

Examples of random walk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Generally, stock prices follow a pattern similar to a random walk, meaning that past movements have no reliable bearing on future direction. True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025 Many aspiring entrepreneurs let emotion and passion take them on a random walk which few survive. Martin Zwilling, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025 One hundred primary sampling units were randomly selected, with households selected via random walk and respondents selected via the last-birthday method. Gary Langer, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2024 The researchers find that the outcome of a random walk through such a network is highly lumpable. Philip Ball, WIRED, 21 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for random walk

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of random walk was in 1905

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Cite this Entry

“Random walk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/random%20walk. Accessed 6 Sep. 2025.

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