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sporadic
adjective
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Sporadic Has Medieval Latin Roots
You never know where or when the occasion to use sporadic will pop up, but when it does, sporadic is the perfect choice to describe something that happens randomly or irregularly, often in scattered instances or isolated outbursts. 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 seemingly scattered nature by which such cells spread and germinate.
Synonyms
infrequent, uncommon, scarce, rare, sporadic mean not common or abundant.
infrequent implies occurrence at wide intervals in space or time.
uncommon suggests a frequency below normal expectation.
scarce implies falling short of a standard or required abundance.
rare suggests extreme scarcity or infrequency and often implies consequent high value.
sporadic implies occurrence in scattered instances or isolated outbursts.
Examples of sporadic in a Sentence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sporadic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Sporadic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sporadic. Accessed 27 Aug. 2024.
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sporadic
adjectiveMore from Merriam-Webster on sporadic
Nglish: Translation of sporadic for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of sporadic for Arabic Speakers
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