chaotic

adjective

cha·​ot·​ic kā-ˈä-tik 

1

: marked by chaos or being in a state of chaos : completely confused or disordered

a chaotic political race

After he became famous, his life became even more chaotic.

They may look chaotic and barbaric, but scrums are a critical and strategic part of the game, and they unfold and escalate according to hockey's venerated, unwritten rules of engagement.

—David Fleming

To the uninitiated visitor, the seemingly chaotic energy of a typical Thai market may give the impression of a free-for-all, …

—Diane Ruengsom

2

mathematics : having outcomes that can vary widely due to extremely small changes in initial conditions

In other words, what comes out of the program's equations is extremely sensitive to what goes in. And that, as any mathematician would recognize, is one of the hallmarks of chaotic systems.

—Ingrid Wickelgren

A physical system—a weather system, say—is chaotic if a very slight change in initial conditions sends the system off on a very different course.

—Physics Today

chaotically

kā-ˈä-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

a chaotically busy scene

Synonyms

• cluttered
• confused
• disarranged
• disarrayed
• disheveled
• dishevelled
• disordered
• disorderly
• higgledy-piggledy
• hugger-mugger
• jumbled
• littered
• messed
• messy
• muddled
• mussed
• mussy
• pell-mell
• rumpled
• sloppy
• topsy-turvy
• tousled
• tumbled
• unkempt
• untidy
• upside-down

Examples of chaotic in a Sentence

a chaotic cellar sorely in need of some straightening up

Recent Examples on the Web

Simulating Outcomes And Suggesting Responses For Crisis Management Crisis management involves interpreting large, often chaotic datasets—a task neural networks are suited for—and applying formal decision-making frameworks and contingency plans—a task symbolic AI is suited for. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024

Since arriving in Brooklyn, he’s struggled to find a lawyer for his asylum case and to secure work to help support himself and his family, living in crowded and chaotic shelters. —Zoe Sottile, CNN, 21 Sep. 2024

This sentiment encapsulates the essence of Cemetery Sun’s mission: to spread kindness and understanding in an often chaotic world. —Ben Welles, SPIN, 20 Sep. 2024

Meanwhile, the climactic battle, which is chaotic and epic, represents the culmination of the entire journey. —Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 19 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1688, in the meaning defined at sense 1