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sporadic

[ spuh-rad-ik ]
/ spəˈræd ɪk /
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See synonyms for: sporadic / sporadically on Thesaurus.com
adjective
(of similar things or occurrences) appearing or happening at irregular intervals in time; occasional: sporadic renewals of enthusiasm.
appearing in scattered or isolated instances, as a disease.
isolated, as a single instance of something; being or occurring apart from others.
occurring singly or widely apart in locality: the sporadic growth of plants.
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Sometimes spo·rad·i·cal .

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; see spore, -ic

OTHER WORDS FROM sporadic

spo·rad·i·cal·ly, adverbspo·rad·i·cal·ness, nounspo·ra·dic·i·ty [spawr-uh-dis-i-tee], /ˌspɔr əˈdɪs ɪ ti/, spo·ra·dism, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

Words related to sporadic

desultory, fitful, infrequent, intermittent, irregular, isolated, occasional, random, rare, scattered, spotty, few, fits and starts, hit-or-miss, on-again-off-again, scarce, seldom, spasmodic, uncommon, unfrequent

How to use sporadic in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sporadic

sporadic
/ (spəˈrædɪk) /
adjective
occurring at irregular points in time; intermittentsporadic firing
scattered; isolateda sporadic disease

Derived forms of sporadic

sporadically, adverbsporadicalness, noun

Word Origin for sporadic

C17: from Medieval Latin sporadicus, from Greek sporadikos, from sporas scattered; related to Greek speirein to sow; see spore
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

Medical definitions for sporadic

sporadic
[ spə-răd′ĭk, spô- ]
adj.
Occurring at irregular intervals.
Occurring singly; not grouped.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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