smattering
noun
smat·ter·ing
ˈsma-tə-riŋ 
1
: superficial piecemeal knowledge
… a smattering of carpentry, house painting, bricklaying …—
Alva Johnston
Alva Johnston2
: a small scattered number or amount
a smattering of spectators
Examples of smattering in a Sentence
She only knows a smattering of German.
a smattering of guests at the art exhibit
Recent Examples on the Web
Dominical, another popular surf destination located next to Uvita, has a smattering of luxury villas and hotels, like Lamangata Luxury Surf Resort.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 June 2026
When manager Warren Schaeffer removed him in the sixth, Castaño received a smattering of applause and tipped his hat to the crowd on his way to the dugout as if responding to a standing ovation.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 7 June 2026
Stalled by the pandemic, the festival’s inaugural edition took place in Jeddah’s Al-Balad old city neighborhood in 2021 with a make-shift cinema, rudimentary industry hub and a smattering of A-list guests and has since grown into one of the biggest film festivals in the Middle East.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 6 June 2026
After loading the bases, Fairbanks exited to a smattering of boos before Zuber entered and struck out Junior Caminero.
—ABC News, 6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for smattering
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Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 June 2026
When manager Warren Schaeffer removed him in the sixth, Castaño received a smattering of applause and tipped his hat to the crowd on his way to the dugout as if responding to a standing ovation.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 7 June 2026
Stalled by the pandemic, the festival’s inaugural edition took place in Jeddah’s Al-Balad old city neighborhood in 2021 with a make-shift cinema, rudimentary industry hub and a smattering of A-list guests and has since grown into one of the biggest film festivals in the Middle East.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 6 June 2026
After loading the bases, Fairbanks exited to a smattering of boos before Zuber entered and struck out Junior Caminero.
—ABC News, 6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for smattering
Cite this Entry
“Smattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smattering. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
smattering
noun
smat·ter·ing
ˈsmat-ə-riŋ
1
: a small amount of knowledge
a smattering of French
2
: a small scattered number
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