US /keɪˈɑtɪk/ UK /keɪˈɒtɪk/
adj noun Freq #12414

Meanings

  1. 1
    adj

    Completely confused and disorganized.

    The first day at the new office was utterly chaotic.

  2. 2
    adj

    In science, so sensitive to small changes that the outcome cannot be predicted.

    The system's chaotic behaviour makes long-term forecasts impossible.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 adj · completely confused and... shambolicdisorderlyhelter-skelter
Word family
Derived forms antichaoticchaoticallychaoticianchaoticistchaoticitychaoticnesschaotizehomeochaotichyperchaoticnonchaoticsemichaoticunchaotic

Etymology

From Late Latin chaoticus (“of or pertaining to the primordial state of the universe”), from Latin chaos (“chaos”) + -ticus (suffix forming adjectives from nouns); analysable as chaos + -otic. Doublet of gassy.

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