sporadically
Americanadverb
-
every now and then; at irregular intervals in time.
Ox-eye sunflowers bloom sporadically throughout the summer.
-
here and there; in scattered locations.
Little candles, placed sporadically among the chapel pews, lit up people’s faces.
Etymology
Origin of sporadically
First recorded in 1675–85; sporadic ( def. ) + -ally ( def. )
Explanation
Something that happens sporadically doesn't occur with regularity, but rather periodically or occasionally. You might meet sporadically with your cousins, usually on minor holidays like Memorial Day or Flag Day. Sporadically comes from the Greek word sporadikos, meaning scattered, with the root word spora, which means sowing. Imagine sowing seed by scattering it, and you'll get the hit-or-miss sense of sporadically. There is no pattern to the frequency of an event that occurs sporadically. Working sporadically is hard because you lack a steady income and never know when you'll be busy, but traveling sporadically can be fun.
Vocabulary lists containing sporadically
The Glass Castle
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Bridge to Terabithia
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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.
Sporadically playing only at festivals, colleges and museums, the movie failed to garner a proper theatrical release until 2007, its complicated music clearances seemingly dooming it to obscurity.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2025
Sporadically, they reminded Rangers of their threat, but the visitors stuck to their task and even had the odd sight of goal themselves.
From BBC • Oct. 26, 2022
"Sporadically is not going to win you hockey games. We’ve got to figure out ways to get it done."
From Fox News • Oct. 31, 2021
Sporadically, a new skirmish breaks out: in Knoydart, a wild western peninsula accessed only by boat, an argument flared up in 2015 when the trust’s stalkers shot dozens of stags more than their agreed target.
From The Guardian • Feb. 20, 2018
Sporadically, Bobby would select a letter at random and reply with a personal note.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
