Tilfældig

Tilfældig is a Danish adjective meaning random or happening by chance. It describes events, outcomes, or selections that are not planned and are determined by probability rather than intention. The related noun is tilfældighed, which denotes the property or character of randomness or chance. The adverb tilfældigvis means by coincidence or accidentally. In everyday usage, tilfældig can refer to a single occurrence as well as to the broader concept of randomness.

In statistics, research, and computing, tilfældig is used to describe processes that do not follow a fixed pattern. A tilfældig stikprøve (random sample) is selected to reduce bias; tilfældige tal (random numbers) are used in simulations and probabilistic analyses. The term also appears in ordinary language to describe events that occur without planning, such as a chance encounter (et tilfældigt møde) or an outcome that could have turned out differently.

Etymology and related terms are commonly discussed in Danish linguistic resources. The word is generally thought to derive from til- plus tilfælde, reflecting an occurrence that happens toward an outcome. The family of words includes tilfældighed (randomness or chance) and tilfældigvis (by coincidence or accidentally), which share the same semantic core of chance and contingency. The distinction between tilfældig and its related forms is primarily grammatical, guiding usage in adjectives, nouns, and adverbs.

---