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 of episodic

• 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 island requires around 100,000 barrels of oil per day for its power stations and infrastructure to function; since January, episodic shipments have only given short-term relief. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 19 July 2026

The pilot episode of the legendary sitcom premiered on NBC on July 5, 1989, changing television by focusing on everyday — often absurd — occurrences instead of tantalizing drama, serial plots or episodic story arcs. — Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026

The result is a meditative action movie both immense and intimate, albeit one whose flow is impeded by the inherently episodic nature of the nonlinear source material and some questionable casting choices. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026

Its revenue streams tend to be recurring rather than episodic, unlike those of investment banking and trading. — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 14 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1711, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for episodic

• periodic
• anodic
• helladic
• melodic
• prosodic
• rhapsodic
• spasmodic
• antispasmodic
• aperiodic
• modoc
• sodic
• photoperiodic