How can I randomly select (choose) an item from a list (get a random element)?

Question

How do I retrieve an item at random from the following list? ``` foo = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e'] ```

Accepted Answer

Use `random.choice()`:

```
import random

foo = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']
print(random.choice(foo))
```

For cryptographically secure random choices (e.g., for generating a passphrase from a wordlist), use `secrets.choice()`:

```
import secrets

foo = ['battery', 'correct', 'horse', 'staple']
print(secrets.choice(foo))
```

`secrets` is new in Python 3.6. On older versions of Python you can use the `random.SystemRandom` class:

```
import random

secure_random = random.SystemRandom()
print(secure_random.choice(foo))
```

Solution