scattered

American  

[skat-erd] / ˈskæt ərd /

adjective

1. distributed or occurring at widely spaced and usually irregular intervals.

   scattered villages; scattered showers.

2. dispersed; disorganized.

   scattered forces.

3. distracted or disorganized.

   scattered thoughts.

4. Meteorology. (of clouds) covering up to one-half of the sky.

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Other Word Forms

• scatteredly adverb
• scatteredness noun
• unscattered adjective
• well-scattered adjective

Etymology

Origin of scattered

scatter + -ed ²

Example Sentences

"Their momenta are not scattered but simply exchanged between collision partners. Each atom's momentum remains conserved -- it can only be passed on, never lost."

From Science Daily

Parts of Altadena now resemble a rural town, with scattered houses separated by vast swaths of open space canopied by trees that somehow survived the fire.

From Los Angeles Times

I found it too scattered, indecisive and overreliant on its comedic moments.

From Salon

Instead of towering corporate headquarters in city centers, companies would operate from house-like suites scattered across communities.

From The Wall Street Journal

That’s less than 10% of the roughly 3 million barrels the company produces from holdings scattered across the globe, from the Gulf of Mexico to Kazakhstan and Australia.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• intermittent
• isolated
• occasional
• sporadic