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
David FlemingTo the uninitiated visitor, the seemingly chaotic energy of a typical Thai market may give the impression of a free-for-all, …—Diane Ruengsom
Diane Ruengsom2
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
Ingrid WickelgrenA 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
Physics TodayExamples of chaotic in a Sentence
a chaotic cellar sorely in need of some straightening up
Recent Examples on the Web
The enforcement sparked a chaotic scene at the cannabis farms, the USA TODAY Network in California reported.
—Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 14 July 2025
In 1945, a rare Stradivarius violin was stolen from a Berlin bank during the chaotic end of World War II.
—Asia London Palomba, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 July 2025
Initial reports from Butler were chaotic, with conflicting information about the extent of his injuries.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 July 2025
After Superman and Doomsday died at each other’s hands in the famous Death of Superman event, things got even more chaotic for DC Comics than usual.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for chaotic
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Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 14 July 2025
In 1945, a rare Stradivarius violin was stolen from a Berlin bank during the chaotic end of World War II.
—Asia London Palomba, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 July 2025
Initial reports from Butler were chaotic, with conflicting information about the extent of his injuries.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 July 2025
After Superman and Doomsday died at each other’s hands in the famous Death of Superman event, things got even more chaotic for DC Comics than usual.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for chaotic
Cite this Entry
“Chaotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chaotic. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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