losowy

Losowy is a Polish adjective meaning random or arising from chance. In everyday language it describes events, selections, or outcomes that are not determined by a fixed rule and are influenced by luck or unpredictability. In statistics and probability, the term appears in phrases such as zdarzenie losowe (random event), zmienna losowa (random variable), and rozkład losowy (probabilistic distribution).

The word losowy is derived from the noun los, which in Polish historically denotes fate, luck, or a lot in a game of chance. The suffix -owy forms adjectives indicating a relationship to or characteristic of something, so losowy conveys the sense of being governed by chance or randomness rather than determinism. Related forms include losowo (adverb: randomly) and losowość (randomness).

Common usages span several domains. In mathematics and statistics, losowy describes processes and data that are nondeterministic, such as liczby losowe (random numbers) generated by a generator liczb losowych (random number generator) or algorytmy losowe (randomized algorithms). In science and engineering, randomized methods and simulations rely on losowy inputs to model uncertainty. In everyday language, phrases such as losowy wybór (random selection), losowanie (drawing or lottery), and kryteria losowe (random criteria) illustrate its general meaning.

Other languages translate losowy as random or chance-related; in Polish, precise context determines whether it refers to a statistical concept, a procedural method, or a description of unpredictable phenomena.