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 TodaySynonyms
Examples of chaotic in a Sentence
a chaotic cellar sorely in need of some straightening up
Recent Examples on the Web
The last decade has been chaotic in both wonderful and horrible ways, but through all the madness and two children my husband Capricorned it up and kept the family on track and moving forward.
—Nicole Briese, Peoplemag, 18 May 2024
The shoot was chaotic, THR reported in real time, with key creative talent quitting or being fired along the way; and this week The Guardian quoted sources from the set who suggested that Coppola made unwanted advances towards actresses.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for chaotic 
Nicole Briese, Peoplemag, 18 May 2024
The shoot was chaotic, THR reported in real time, with key creative talent quitting or being fired along the way; and this week The Guardian quoted sources from the set who suggested that Coppola made unwanted advances towards actresses.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for chaotic
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chaotic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Chaotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chaotic. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
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