aleatory

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The Word of the Day for February 20 is:

aleatory   \AY-lee-uh-tor-ee\   adjective
     1 : depending on an uncertain event or contingency
     2 : relating to luck and especially to bad luck
    *3 : characterized by chance or random elements

Example sentence:
     The aleatory nature of a lottery drawing makes it 
impossible to predict who is going to be the winner.

Did you know?
      If you're the gambling type, then chances are good you've 
come across "aleatory" in your travels. Deriving from the Latin 
noun "alea," which refers to a kind of dice game, "aleatory" 
was first used in English in the late 17th century to describe 
things that are dependent on uncertain odds, much like a roll 
of the dice. The term now describes things that occur by sheer 
chance or accident, such as the unlucky bounce of a golf shot 
or the unusual shape of an ink blot. Going a bit further, the 
term "aleatory music," or "chance music," describes a musical 
composition in which certain parts are left for the performer 
to concoct through improvisation.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.