sporadic
Americanadjective
-
(of similar things or occurrences) appearing or happening at irregular intervals in time; occasional.
sporadic renewals of enthusiasm.
- Antonyms:
- continuous
-
appearing in scattered or isolated instances, as a disease.
-
isolated, as a single instance of something; being or occurring apart from others.
- Synonyms:
- unconnected, separate
-
occurring singly or widely apart in locality.
the sporadic growth of plants.
adjective
-
occurring at irregular points in time; intermittent
sporadic firing
-
scattered; isolated
a sporadic disease
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; spore, -ic
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.
Yet until the hangout space opened, its work had seemed sporadic, and some in the community were questioning whether there would be resources and vision to support Altadena Girls long-term.
From Los Angeles Times
The duo was two months behind rent; their inventory had gone stagnant and their once regular barber shop clients had become sporadic.
From Los Angeles Times
“Chain of Fire” follows these sporadic colonial campaigns through the firsthand accounts of participants.
The patient leaflets for Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro recommend once‑weekly injections on a fixed schedule under medical supervision, indicating the drugs are intended for regular, continuous use rather than occasional or sporadic dosing.
From BBC
Hallmark Channel celebrates with Christmas movies, and even most long-running television series take a sporadic approach.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
