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.

He could see that as George staggered closer.

From Literature

Fed governors serve staggered 14-year terms in order to insulate them from political influence.

From MarketWatch

When Congress restructured the central bank in 1935, lawmakers created staggered 14-year terms for governors and limited their removal to “for cause.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The Rams nearly were staggered by a late touchdown pass by Caleb Williams to force overtime, but their defense recovered to intercept Williams in the extra period, setting up the decisive drive.

From Los Angeles Times

The case, which was initially scheduled to last four days, instead involved hearings staggered over several months.

From BBC

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