sporadic

adjective
spo·​rad·​ic | \ spə-ˈra-dik How to pronounce sporadic (audio) \

Definition of sporadic

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

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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
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Recent Examples on the Web

For the most part, the conversation is idle and directionless, sporadic on its most active days and entirely one-sided. Gregory Barber, WIRED, "The Cypherpunks Tapping Bitcoin via Ham Radio," 27 June 2019 But compared with the hundreds of tenant activists who have descended on Albany each week, the real estate industry’s new counterefforts have been fledgling, sporadic — and to progressive activists, unconvincing. Vivian Wang, New York Times, "Inside the Stealth Campaign for ‘Responsible Rent Reform’," 10 June 2019 But my ventures into live classes with other humans were rare and sporadic. Hannah Chenoweth, SELF, "The 9 Best YouTube Yoga Channels I Discovered While Practicing Yoga at Home for 6 Years," 5 May 2019 The austerity measures, in turn, have sparked resentment and sporadic protests, and contributed to political crises this year in Jordan and Tunisia in which middle-class grievances played a central role. Jared Malsin, WSJ, "Tightened Belts in Mideast Stir Memories of Arab Spring," 5 Dec. 2018 Even before the Easter attacks, Muslims, who make up about 10 percent of the population, had faced discriminatory rhetoric and sporadic violence, particularly with the rise of hard-line Buddhist nationalist groups after the end of the civil war. Washington Post, "After Sri Lanka attacks, Muslims face boycotts and violence," 8 July 2019 But my in-laws have started being sporadic with gifts. Judith Martin, The Mercury News, "Miss Manners: Grandparents were offended when we questioned their gift practices," 27 June 2019 Advertising Modi visited West Bengal 17 times in an effort to make inroads with his Hindu nationalist agenda, provoking sporadic violence and prompting the Election Commission to cut off campaigning there. Ashok Sharma, The Seattle Times, "India’s marathon election ends, vote count begins Thursday," 20 May 2019 Reports of sporadic violence in Kabul were circulating throughout the morning. Ehsanullah Amiri, WSJ, "Afghans Cast Votes Amid Deadly Violence," 20 Oct. 2018

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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First Known Use of sporadic

circa 1689, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for sporadic

Medieval Latin sporadicus, from Greek sporadikos, from sporadēn here and there, from sporad-, sporas scattered; akin to Greek speirein to sow — more at sperm

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More Definitions for sporadic

sporadic

adjective
spo·​rad·​ic | \ spə-ˈrad-ik How to pronounce sporadic (audio) \

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

Other Words from sporadic

sporadically \ -​i-​k(ə-​)lē How to pronounce sporadically (audio) \ adverb

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