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Aleatory: meaning, pronunciation and examples

Aleatory adjective. Depending on chance or luck rather than on design.

How to say it

AY-lee-uh-tuh-ree/ˈeɪlɪət(ə)ri/ · American /ˈeɪliəˌtɔri/

5 syllables, stressed on the first (AY).

Aleatory in a sentence

John Cage wrote aleatory music, letting chance decide what the players did.

So much of a career is aleatory: the right person in the lift at the right moment.

Similar and opposite

Similar:

  • random
  • chance
  • haphazard

Opposite:

  • planned
  • deliberate

Where aleatory comes from

From Latin aleator, a dice player, from alea, a die.

Test yourself

Which word fills the gap?

So much of a career is _____: the right person in the lift at the right moment.

  • aleatory
  • primordial
  • latent
Show the answer

aleatory: So much of a career is aleatory: the right person in the lift at the right moment.