randomize

IPA/ˈrændəmaɪz/
KK[rˈændəmˌaɪz]IPA/ˈrændəmaɪz/

randomize — verb

  • randomizepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • randomizeshe / she / it
  • randomizedpast simple
  • randomizing-ing form

1. to put people or things into groups or an order entirely by chance, without foll

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to put people or things into groups or an order entirely by chance, without following any plan or system, especially in scientific studies that need fair results.

Example

The clinical trial randomized sixty patients so each had an equal chance of receiving the new drug or a placebo.

randomize + noun phrase (patients) + purpose clause explaining fairness

Dr. Apinya randomized the order of blood samples rather than testing them as they came in.

randomize + order of [items], contrast with natural sequence

Common collocations
  • randomize patients
  • randomize participants
  • randomize the order
  • randomize the sequence
  • randomize into groups
  • randomize subjects
Synonyms
  • shuffle

    less formal; mainly used for physical items like cards or papers rather than research subjects

  • scramble

    more informal; suggests disorder rather than systematic chance-based assignment

  • assign at random

    a phrasal alternative that makes the method explicit

Antonyms
  • order

    to arrange according to a deliberate system

  • sort

    to group by a specific property rather than by chance

  • arrange

    to put in a planned sequence

Grammar Patterns

randomize + noun phrase (patients/participants/items)

randomize + noun phrase + into + group

Usage Note

Most common in passive voice (e.g., 'were randomized into groups'). Frequently used in medical and social science research, typically with objects such as participants, patients, subjects, or samples.

Common Mistakes

The teacher randomized the test papers by handing them out in alphabetical order.
The teacher randomized the test papers by shuffling them so each student received a different version at random.
randomizing requires a chance-based method, not any kind of arrangement.
She randomized the room by throwing clothes everywhere.
She randomized the order of the survey questions using a random-number generator.
randomize applies to selection or order in a structured process, not to physical messiness.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

While 'shuffle', 'scramble', and 'assign at random' all involve changing order or selection without a fixed plan, they differ in register and scope. 'Shuffle' is the most informal and concrete — you shuffle a deck of cards or a stack of papers, but you would not shuffle research subjects. 'Scramble' carries a stronger sense of disorder or confusion; it can sound haphazard rather than methodical. 'Assign at random' is the most explicit and formal, making clear that a deliberate chance-based method (not mere disorder) is used. In academic writing, 'randomize' is preferred because it is a single verb that carries the whole meaning of systematic random assignment. For example: 'We shuffled the questionnaire packets before distributing them' (physical reordering) vs. 'We randomized the participants across three treatment groups' (statistical method).

shuffle ↗scramble ↗assign at random

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • at random
  • by chance

Prepositions

Etymology

Old FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The verb 'randomize' was formed in English in the early 20th century by adding the suffix '-ize' to the adjective 'random', which comes from the Middle English 'randoun' (meaning 'impetuosity, speed'), borrowed from Old French 'randir' ('to run fast'). The modern statistical meaning of 'random' — governed by or involving equal chance — developed in the late 1800s alongside the rise of probability theory and experimental design. The verb 'randomize' emerged specifically in the context of scientific research to name the deliberate act of introducing chance into an experiment's design.