episodic

adjective

ep·​i·​sod·​ic ˌe-pə-ˈsä-dik 

also

-ˈzä- 

variants or less commonly episodical

ˌe-pə-ˈsä-di-kəl 

 also  -ˈzä-

1

: made up of separate especially loosely connected episodes

2

: having the form of an episode

3

: of or limited in duration or significance to a particular episode : temporary

may be able to establish whether the sea-floor spreading is continuous or episodic

—A. I. Hammond

4

: occurring, appearing, or changing at usually irregular intervals : occasional

an episodic illness

episodically

ˌe-pə-ˈsä-di-k(ə-)lē 

 also  -ˈzä-

adverb

Synonyms

• periodical
• serial
• serialized

Examples of episodic in a Sentence

the long novel was filmed for television as an episodic movie that was shown over the course of five evenings

malaria is characterized by episodic attacks of chills and fever that coincide with mass destruction of blood cells

Recent Examples on the Web

The team — including episodic directors Emi Yonemura and Chase Conley, and head of Marvel Animation Brad Winderbaum — unpack the character's grand introduction and where this is all heading in season 2, which has already been mapped out. —Nick Romano, EW.com, 17 May 2024

Meanwhile, the new scheme will raise the minimum budget for episodic programs while also creating a new category for limited series. —Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 15 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1711, in the meaning defined at sense 1