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intermittent

[ in-ter-mit-nt ]
/ ˌɪn tərˈmɪt nt /
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See synonyms for intermittent on Thesaurus.com
adjective
stopping or ceasing for a time; alternately ceasing and beginning again: an intermittent pain.
alternately functioning and not functioning or alternately functioning properly and improperly.
(of streams, lakes, or springs) recurrent; showing water only part of the time.
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Origin of intermittent

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin intermittent- (stem of intermittēns ), present participle of intermittere “to leave a space between, drop off (for a while)”; see intermit, -ent

OTHER WORDS FROM intermittent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to intermittent

fitful, infrequent, occasional, periodic, recurrent, recurring, seasonal, alternate, arrested, broken, checked, cyclic, cyclical, discontinuing, discontinuous, epochal, every other, here and there, hit-or-miss, interrupted

How to use intermittent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for intermittent

intermittent
/ (ˌɪntəˈmɪtənt) /
adjective
occurring occasionally or at regular or irregular intervals; periodic

Derived forms of intermittent

intermittence or intermittency, nounintermittently, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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