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ALEATORY

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a⋅le⋅a⋅to⋅ry

  [ey-lee-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, al-ee-]
Use ALEATORY in a Sentence
–adjective
1. Law. depending on a contingent event: an aleatory contract.
2. of or pertaining to accidental causes; of luck or chance; unpredictable: an aleatory element.
3. Music. employing the element of chance in the choice of tones, rests, durations, rhythms, dynamics, etc.
Also, a⋅le⋅a⋅tor⋅ic  [ey-lee-uh-tawr-ik, -tor-, al-ee-] .

Origin:
1685–95; < L āleātōrius, equiv. to āleātōr- (s. of āleātor gambler (āle(a) game of chance + -ātor -ator ) + -ius adj. suffix; see -tory 1
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Ask a Lawyer: Aleatory
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a·le·a·to·ry   (ā'lē-ə-tôr'ē, -tōr'ē)   
adj.  

  1. Dependent on chance, luck, or an uncertain outcome: an aleatory contract between an oil prospector and a landowner.

  2. Of or characterized by gambling: aleatory contests.

  3. also a·le·a·to·ric (ā'lē-ə-tôr'ĭk, -tōr'-) Music Using or consisting of sounds to be chosen by the performer or left to chance; indeterminate: An object placed inside the piano added an aleatory element to the piece.


[Latin āleātōrius, from āleātor, gambler, from ālea, game of chance, die.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

aleatory 
"of uncertain outcome," lit. "depending on the throw of a die," 1693, from L. aleatorius, from aleator "a dice player," from alea "a die, the dice."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: ale·a·to·ry
Pronunciation: 'A-lE-&-"tOr-E
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin aleatorius of a gambler, from aleator gambler, dice player, from alea, a dice game
: depending on an uncertain event or contingency as to both profit and loss aleatory nature of a lawyer's contingency fee arrangement>
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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