intersperse

1 of 2

verb

in·​ter·​sperse ˌin-tər-ˈspərs 

interspersed; interspersing

transitive verb

1

: to insert at intervals among other things

interspersing drawings throughout the text

2

: to place something at intervals in or among

intersperse a book with pictures

interspersion

ˌin-tər-ˈspər-zhən 

-shən

noun

interspersion

2 of 2

noun

in·​ter·​spersion ˌintərˈspər|zhən 

təˈspə̄|, 

-pəi| British usually & US sometimes shən

plural -s

: the act or fact of interspersing or state of being interspersed: such as

a

: the intermingling of kinds of organisms (as species) within an ecological community

b

: the state or degree of intermingling of one kind of organism with others

certain forbs show a high level of interspersion in grasslands

Did you know?

Intersperse comes from Latin interspersus, a combination of the prefix inter- ("between or among") and sparsus, the past participle of spargere, meaning "to scatter." Sparsus is also the source of sparse.

Synonyms of intersperse

Verb

• weave
• combine
• insert
• mix
• incorporate
• salt
• thread

Examples of intersperse in a Sentence

Verb

You should intersperse these pictures evenly throughout the book.

Some seagulls were interspersed among the ducks.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

At the conclusion of an English-language service interspersed with hymns in Arabic, the priest introduced Salazar, who stood up in the front row, smiling and waving. — Daniel Castro, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2026

The electric guitar and Alfaro’s punk beats are a cover for a lot of pain, interspersed with real hope, that Rose worked through. — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026

The Bangladeshi firm behind the project, Nakshabid Architects, was inspired by traditional Bengali homesteads, which are typically interspersed with courtyards and ponds. — Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026

The nearly 289,000-acre forest is interspersed with private property, farms, communities and roads, creating a patchwork of public and private lands across southern Illinois. — Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin interspersus interspersed, from inter- + sparsus, past participle of spargere to scatter — more at spark

First Known Use

Verb

1566, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for intersperse

• reimburse
• universe
• adverse
• averse
• coerce
• disburse
• disperse
• diverse
• immerse
• inverse
• obverse
• perverse

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Kids Definition

intersperse

verb

in·​ter·​sperse ˌint-ər-ˈspərs 

interspersed; interspersing

1

: to set here and there among other things

intersperse pictures in a book

2

: to vary with things inserted here and there

interspersed the photo album with her poetry

interspersion

-ˈspər-zhən 

noun