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

In addition to awards for motion pictures, episodic and new media content, the Society also presents awards for excellence in categories such as Best Musical Motion Picture, Best musical scene or performance, best immersive audio and more. —Pete Hammond, Deadline, 1 Dec. 2025

The episodic-squishy lid builds on the traditional divide between plate tectonics or mobile lid regimes (like modern Earth) and stagnant-lid behavior (like Mars). —Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 30 Nov. 2025

In the episodic category, Peter Doyle took the award for grading Alfonso Cuaron’s AppleTV thriller Disclaimer. —Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 16 Nov. 2025

One of the most noteworthy of these functions is called episodic memory. —Literary Hub, 14 Nov. 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