sporadic

adjective

spo·​rad·​ic spə-ˈra-dik How to pronounce sporadic (audio)
: occurring occasionally, singly, or in irregular or random instances
sporadic protests
a sporadic disease

Did you know?

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.

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

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 Our tester was middle-aged with light brown hair and regularly used color products to address sporadic and wiry gray hairs. Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 Saigon Oi Southeast Asia has monsoon season; Sacramento had the 60 MPH gusts and sporadic rainfall that whipped the region in February. Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 29 Feb. 2024 With a dry autumn and only sporadic moisture in the early weeks of winter, fewer poppies will emerge. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 24 Feb. 2024 After beating the Atlanta Hawks on Monday in a 149-144 shootout to go 6-1 on the trip, Coach Tyronn Lue pointed to the team’s sporadic defensive lapses. Janis Carr, Orange County Register, 6 Feb. 2024 Like Bosa, Javon Hargrave made All-Pro and Pro Bowl, but the 2023 free agent prize proved sporadic. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2024 Like, ‘My sporadic, spastic, impulsive, potentially treacherous ideas? Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2024 Anyone who has won a green jacket receives a lifetime exemption to compete at the event, hence why five-time champion Tiger Woods is among the 83 current invitees for April despite his sporadic playing time and world No. 896 ranking. Jack Bantock, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024 Whether because of distortions in the economy, lack of training or motivation, or the attitudes of employers, these people have been excluded from the regular labor market and find, at most, sporadic employment. Michael Bernick, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024

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.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

circa 1689, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sporadic was circa 1689

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Dictionary Entries Near sporadic

Cite this Entry

“Sporadic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sporadic. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sporadic

adjective
spo·​rad·​ic spə-ˈrad-ik How to pronounce sporadic (audio)
: occurring or done now and then
sporadically adverb

Medical Definition

sporadic

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

More from Merriam-Webster on sporadic

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