sporadic
Americanadjective
-
(of similar things or occurrences) appearing or happening at irregular intervals in time; occasional.
sporadic renewals of enthusiasm.
- Antonyms:
- continuous
-
appearing in scattered or isolated instances, as a disease.
-
isolated, as a single instance of something; being or occurring apart from others.
- Synonyms:
- unconnected, separate
-
occurring singly or widely apart in locality.
the sporadic growth of plants.
adjective
-
occurring at irregular points in time; intermittent
sporadic firing
-
scattered; isolated
a sporadic disease
Other Word Forms
- sporadically adverb
- sporadicalness noun
- sporadicity noun
- sporadism noun
Etymology
Origin of sporadic
First recorded in 1680–90; from Medieval Latin sporadicus, from Greek sporadikós, equivalent to sporad- (stem of sporás “strewn,” akin to sporá “sowing, seed”) + -ikos adjective suffix; spore, -ic
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.
The reservoir of the Amir Kabir dam, one of the largest supplying Iran's capital, is still largely empty despite sporadic winter rainfall following the worst drought in decades, local media reported Wednesday.
From Barron's
Until geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela cool off, moves in oil will likely be brief, sharp, and sporadic as investors respond to the day’s news.
From Barron's
Yet until the hangout space opened, its work had seemed sporadic, and some in the community were questioning whether there would be resources and vision to support Altadena Girls long-term.
From Los Angeles Times
The duo was two months behind rent; their inventory had gone stagnant and their once regular barber shop clients had become sporadic.
From Los Angeles Times
“Chain of Fire” follows these sporadic colonial campaigns through the firsthand accounts of participants.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
