Rastgele

Rastgele is a Turkish word that functions as an adverb meaning "randomly" or "by chance" and as an adjective describing something as being determined by chance rather than by a fixed plan. In everyday language, it appears in phrases such as rastgele bir sayı seçmek (to select a number at random) or rastgele bir şekilde (in a random manner).

In statistics and computer science, rastgele denotes phenomena or processes that are not fully predictable and are treated as random. Common technical terms include rastgele sayı üreteci (random number generator), rastgele sayı üretme (to generate random numbers), rastgele örnekleme (random sampling), rastgele değişken (random variable), rastgele olaylar (random events), and rastgele seçim (random selection).

The word is also used in everyday contexts to distinguish between planned and unplanned actions, as in "rastgele karşılaştım" (I met by chance). Synonyms such as tesadüfi appear in more formal or technical writing, conveying a similar notion of chance or coincidence but with subtle nuance.

While largely neutral, rastgele can imply a lack of intention or control, in contrast to deliberate or systematic action. The term is widely understood across Turkish-speaking regions and is foundational in discussions of probability, statistics, and data analysis.