sporadic

adjective

spo·rad·ic | \ spə-ˈra-dik

Definition of sporadic

: occurring occasionally, singly, or in irregular or random instances sporadic protests a sporadic disease

Other Words from sporadic Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Sporadic Has Medieval Latin Roots More Example Sentences Learn More about sporadic

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Choose the Right Synonym for sporadic

infrequent, uncommon, scarce, rare, sporadic mean not common or abundant. infrequent implies occurrence at wide intervals in space or time. infrequent family visits uncommon suggests a frequency below normal expectation. smallpox is now uncommon in many countries scarce implies falling short of a standard or required abundance. jobs were scarce during the Depression rare suggests extreme scarcity or infrequency and often implies consequent high value. rare first editions sporadic implies occurrence in scattered instances or isolated outbursts. sporadic cases of influenza

Sporadic Has Medieval Latin Roots

Sporadic describes the distribution of something across space or time that is not frequent enough to fill an area or period, often in scattered instances or isolated outbursts (as in "sporadic applause"). The word comes from Medieval Latin sporadicus, which is itself derived from Greek sporadēn, meaning "here and there." It is also related to the Greek verb speirein ("to sow"), the ancestor from which we get our word spore (the reproductive cell of a fungus, microorganism, or some plants), hinting at the seeming scattered nature by which such cells distribute and germinate.

Examples of sporadic in a Sentence

The law was indeed tightened, prohibiting the employment of illegal aliens on the valid assumption that removing the magnet of jobs is necessary to stem illegal immigration. But enforcement was sporadic at best, and has now virtually ceased. — Mark Krikorian, National Review, 26 Jan. 2004 I left Madras twenty years ago. Two marriages and three children later I am a different man from the one who left. My return visits have been sporadic. But there is great delight in a homecoming. — Abraham Verghese, Atlantic, February 2001 The Bronx begins here physically, and it began here historically as well; this was the site of Jonas Bronck's farmhouse. Not much is known about him: he was a Swedish sea captain who was induced to settle the area by the Dutch West India Company. A peace treaty signed at Bronck's house ended years of sporadic but bloody skirmishes between the Dutch and the Weckquasgeeks. — Marcus Laffey, New Yorker, 15 May 2000 Sporadic cases of the disease were reported. sporadic loud noises kept startling everyone

Recent Examples on the Web

For example, truckers may shy away from a company that has been known to cut driver pay for its passenger service without much warning, triggering sporadic strikes and other protests. — David Z. Morris, Fortune, "Uber’s Freight Unit to Open New Chicago Headquarters," 9 Sep. 2019 And if there are some sporadic issues, they'll be dealt with. — CBS News, "NYPD arrests plunge since officer fired for chokehold death of Eric Garner," 5 Sep. 2019 Clarke made sporadic efforts to protest, but often skipped important meetings with administrators. — Rebecca Tan, Longreads, "Paul Clarke Wants to Live," 3 Sep. 2019 Protesting veterans from China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Given there are nearly 60 million veterans of its army, Beijing is increasingly wary of military veterans’ sporadic protests across China for better retirement benefits. — Jane Li, Quartz, "These are the people China-linked Twitter accounts attacked before Hong Kong protests," 3 Sep. 2019 The storm struck with sporadic periods of driving rain and strong winds: the Juno Beach Pier reported a sustained wind of 49 mph and a gust to 60 mph. — David Fleshler, sun-sentinel.com, "No more storm watches or warnings for Palm Beach County, as Hurricane Dorian weakens and heads northwest," 3 Sep. 2019 Suddenly the Amazon became the subject of discussion around dinner tables and water coolers – and of sporadic protests worldwide. — The Christian Science Monitor, "Dousing the political fire over the Amazon," 27 Aug. 2019 The idea of mapping the early Universe with 21-cm photons received only sporadic attention for three decades, but technological advancements in the past few years have made the technique look more tractable. — Davide Castelvecchi, Scientific American, "The Quest to Unlock the Secrets of the Baby Universe," 26 Aug. 2019 There wasn't much happening at the other end, with Martin Braithwaite creating the occasional hairy moment for Diego Simeone's side, but Leganes' sporadic forays forward in the early stages were dealt with comfortably for the most part. — SI.com, "Leganes 0-1 Atletico Madrid: Report, Ratings and Reaction as Atleti Edge Madrid Derby," 25 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sporadic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for sporadic

sporadic

adjective

spo·rad·ic | \ spə-ˈrad-ik

Medical Definition of sporadic

1 : occurring occasionally, singly, or in scattered instances sporadic diseases — compare endemic, epidemic sense 1

2 : arising or occurring randomly with no known cause sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

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sporadic

Definition of sporadic

Synonyms & Antonyms for sporadic

Choose the Right Synonym for sporadic

Sporadic Has Medieval Latin Roots

Examples of sporadic in a Sentence

First Known Use of sporadic

History and Etymology for sporadic

Medical Definition of sporadic

sporadic

Definition of sporadic

Synonyms & Antonyms for sporadic

Choose the Right Synonym for sporadic

Sporadic Has Medieval Latin Roots

Examples of sporadic in a Sentence

First Known Use of sporadic

History and Etymology for sporadic

Medical Definition of sporadic

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