sporadic

American  

[spuh-rad-ik] / spəˈræd ɪk /

Sometimes sporadical

adjective

1. (of similar things or occurrences) appearing or happening at irregular intervals in time; occasional.

   sporadic renewals of enthusiasm.

   Antonyms:

   continuous

2. appearing in scattered or isolated instances, as a disease.

3. isolated, as a single instance of something; being or occurring apart from others.

   Synonyms:

   unconnected, separate

4. occurring singly or widely apart in locality.

   the sporadic growth of plants.

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sporadic British  

/ spəˈrædɪk /

adjective

1. occurring at irregular points in time; intermittent

   sporadic firing

2. scattered; isolated

   a sporadic disease

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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; see spore, -ic

Explanation

Sporadic is an adjective that you can use to refer to something that happens or appears often, but not constantly or regularly. The mail carrier comes every day but the plumber's visits are sporadic — he comes as needed. A specialized use of sporadic is to describe a disease that appears only occasionally in random cases, and is therefore not an epidemic. Mostly, though, you'll hear this word used to describe anything that happens occasionally, like your family's sporadic trips to visit your distant cousins in Ohio or the sporadic bake sales your science club sponsors when it's low on funds. English borrowed the word sporadic from Greek sporadikós, "scattered."

Example Sentences

But Mara was more than a transfer, he was transformative, and everyone who had watched him roaming the Pauley floor during his sporadic appearances knew it.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

While sporadic signs of a resolution have worked to keep stock markets afloat, it is impossible to hide from macro indicators like inflation.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

After a year of the strike "with sporadic bin collections, and rubbish left on the streets", people were tired, she said.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

They try to stay in touch with loved ones through phone calls and WhatsApp messages, but the secrecy around carrier movements means their communication with their families is sporadic and unpredictable.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

A mix of mumbles and sporadic clapping fills the room.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

Related Words

• desultory
• fitful
• infrequent
• intermittent
• irregular
• isolated
• occasional
• random
• rare
• scattered
• spotty