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

Submissions to the Frameline Completion Fund can range in genre, from documentary and narrative works to experimental, animated, and episodic projects, but must focus on LGBTQ+ people and their communities. —Arushi Jacob, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026

Why the Arabasta Arc Matters The Arabasta storyline is one of the first major arcs where One Piece transitions from episodic adventure into long-form political storytelling. —Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 16 Mar. 2026

Some fans on Reddit have complained the emphasis on episodic crime cases this season is not as interesting as past season-long story arcs. —Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 16 Mar. 2026

The data matches records of episodic droughts in Europe that may have triggered local wildfires. —Nidhi Sharma, Popular Science, 13 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1711, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for episodic

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