staggered

American

[stag-erd] / ˈstæg ərd /

adjective

arranged in a series of alternating or continually overlapping intervals of time.

Board members serve staggered four-year terms, with new directors replacing outgoing ones each year.
arranged so as to alternate on either side of a center.

A circular base approximately 2 meters in diameter is placed atop a couple of staggered layers of brick to allow for aeration from below.
scheduled or ordered in gradual stages; phased.

Microsoft has confirmed that the new update will be a staggered release.
rendered helpless with astonishment; shocked.

Shakespeare’s King Lear questions everything we know, posing to our staggered imaginations the possibility that the cosmos is immoral, even malevolent.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of stagger.

Other Word Forms

unstaggered adjective

Etymology

Origin of staggered

stagger ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A simple strategy is to “ladder” Treasury bills: Divide your investment into portions and purchase bills with staggered maturities, such as 3, 6, 9 and 12 months.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

"We have been utterly staggered to see one," said Kottler.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

In Chicago, spinach goes into the ground in staggered rows, insurance against frost.

From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026

“The staggered nature of the Board limits how much change we can affect in one year, but we do not think the Board should constrain itself on refreshment.”

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

The heat outside was like a physical assault, and they all staggered.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023