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 grant is eligible to LGBTQ+ filmmakers in America who have not previously made a feature-length film or have never had a film (short, episodic, or feature-length) publicly distributed with an exclusive and compensated agreement. —The Deadline Team, Deadline, 15 July 2024

Many symptoms are episodic, becoming intense in unpredictable, recurrent flares that occur in response to triggers or for seemingly no reason at all. —Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 15 July 2024

The second work is a triptych featuring an episodic narrative inspired by the life of the Virgin Mary but represented in cross-cultural terms of Western and Eastern religious and secular imagery. —Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2024

The novel is episodic, with a tricky structure and a shambling kind of plot. —The New Yorker, 26 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1711, in the meaning defined at sense 1