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

• 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

But those situations are also very funny, and eventually even a bit touching, as an episodic progress adds up to more than the sum of its parts. —Dennis Harvey, Variety, 27 June 2025

One thing’s for sure: In that recurring image of Oscar being driven through town in his limo, Carax captures a perfect visual metaphor for the character’s episodic, slightly distanced journey through this bizarre, patchwork existence. 6. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 June 2025

In a friends in the city yarn, onscreen or in print, a loose frame can abet episodic story-telling. —Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 25 June 2025

These days, Huang says that this fluid mindset is daily and not episodic. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 June 2025

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