ergodic

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/ɜɹˈɡɑdɪk//ɜɹˈɡoʊdɪk/

adjective

Of or relating to certain systems that, given enough time, will eventually return to a previously experienced state.

Similar
random
Opposite
nonergodic
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

adjectiveergodic (comparative more ergodic, superlative most ergodic)

comparative more ergodic · superlative most ergodic

  1. mathematicsOf or relating to certain systems that, given enough time, will eventually return to a previously experienced state.

    “The real world is not ergodic,” he says. “If I jump out of the window, that's it–it's not, like, a mistake I will learn from.”

    2020, Brian Christian, quoting Jan Leike, “Conclusion”, in The Alignment Problem, New York: W.W. Norton & Company, →ISBN
  2. engineeringOf or relating to a process in which every sequence or sample of sufficient size is equally representative of the whole.
  3. computingOf or relating to a literary work that requires nontrivial effort on the reader's part to traverse.

    Therefore this chapter moves into two directions, cybertextually expanding (and reorganizing) the field of architextuality, and specifying the ergodic variety within it.

    2012, Markku Eskelinen, Cybertext Poetics

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
nonergodic

adjectivepositive recurrent aperiodic state of stochastic systems; tending in probability to a limiting form that is independent of the initial conditions

Similar
random
Also see
random

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

International Scientific Vocabulary ergo- + -ode (+ -ic). The etymological origin is disputed: ἔργον (érgon) + ὁδός (hodós, “way”) versus ἔργον (érgon) + εἶδος (eîdos, “image”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 遍歷的 /遍历的
  • 遍歷的 /遍历的 (biànlì de)of or relating to certain systems that, given enough time, will eventually return to previously experienced state
French ergodique
  • ergodiqueof or relating to certain systems that, given enough time, will eventually return to previously experienced state
German ergodisch
  • ergodischof or relating to certain systems that, given enough time, will eventually return to previously experienced state
Greek εργοδικός
  • εργοδικός (ergodikós)of or relating to certain systems that, given enough time, will eventually return to previously experienced state
Italian ergodico
  • ergodicoof or relating to certain systems that, given enough time, will eventually return to previously experienced state
Polish ergodyczny
  • ergodycznyof or relating to certain systems that, given enough time, will eventually return to previously experienced state
Swedish ergodisk
  • ergodiskof or relating to certain systems that, given enough time, will eventually return to previously experienced state
Cite this entry
APA

ergodic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ergodic

MLA

“ergodic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ergodic. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ergodic,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ergodic.

Source: ergodic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.