intermittently

American  

[in-ter-mit-nt-lee] / ˌɪn tərˈmɪt nt li /

adverb

1. at occasional or uneven intervals.

   This species of flounder spawns mainly during the summer and early fall, but may spawn intermittently throughout the year.

   In this parched landscape, water flows intermittently, with lakes and streams forming in the wet season and disappearing in the dry season.

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Other Word Forms

• nonintermittently adverb
• unintermittently adverb

Etymology

Origin of intermittently

intermittent ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

The adverb intermittently describes something that starts, then stops, then starts up again. If you studied intermittently last night, that means sometimes you studied but sometimes you took breaks to do other things. If something happens intermittently, it doesn’t happen all the time or in a steady flow, but goes in fits and starts. It might rain intermittently on Monday or your car might intermittently refuse to start. Make sure you spell intermittently with two “t”s. You can blame the Latin for that: intermittently evolved from the Latin root intermittĕre, which means “to cease.”

Example Sentences

Even domestic messaging platforms, such as Rubika and Bale, work only intermittently.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

"Our study suggests using them intermittently, then activating suction at intervals, might be better. That's because mosquitoes don't tend to stick around their target when both clues aren't used at the same time."

From Science Daily • Mar. 22, 2026

"Since the war began, GPS interference has occurred intermittently, but it has become much worse over the past three or four days," he says.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

Investors have intermittently sung the praises of global diversification, though stocks elsewhere languished for years while American equities reliably pulled ahead.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026

By no means was it the first time he’d reflected on it; thoughts of the Sons of the Six had invaded his mind intermittently since he and Koffi had set foot in the jungle.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Related Words

• occasionally
• periodically
• sporadically