scat·ter·ing
ˈska-tə-riŋ 
2
: something scattered: such as
a
: a small number or quantity interspersed here and there
a scattering of visitors
b
: the random change in direction of the particles constituting a beam or wave front due to collision with particles of the medium traversed
1
: going in various directions
2
: found or placed far apart and in no order
3
: divided among many or several
scattering votes
Examples of scattering in a Sentence
Noun
the scattering of the protesters suddenly turned violent and chaotic
a scattering of people in the mostly empty theater
Recent Examples on the Web
David Szondy
august 14, New Atlas, 14 Aug. 2025
Or funeral homes may offer scattering at sea services during which their team spreads the ashes for you in the Atlantic off Miami’s coast.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2025
Savory pork and briny tapenade slam against your palate, while a merciful scattering of greens doused with lemon juice softens the blow.
—Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
He and the first lady were cheered upon their arrival at MetLife Stadium, but when he was shown on the video screens during the pre-game national anthem, Trump received a scattering of boos.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for scattering
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Noun
Since this star has known properties, it can be used as a baseline for calculations to get rid of the light noise from Alpha Centauri A, light scattering, and interference from the telescope itself.
—David Szondy
august 14, New Atlas, 14 Aug. 2025
Or funeral homes may offer scattering at sea services during which their team spreads the ashes for you in the Atlantic off Miami’s coast.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2025
Savory pork and briny tapenade slam against your palate, while a merciful scattering of greens doused with lemon juice softens the blow.
—Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
He and the first lady were cheered upon their arrival at MetLife Stadium, but when he was shown on the video screens during the pre-game national anthem, Trump received a scattering of boos.
—Ben Morse, CNN Money, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for scattering
Cite this Entry
“Scattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scattering. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scattering
1 of 2 noun
scat·ter·ing
ˈskat-ə-riŋ
1
: an act or process in which something scatters or is scattered
2
: something scattered
especially
: a small number or amount placed or found here and there
a scattering of visitors
scattering
2 of 2 adjective1
: going in various directions
2
: found or placed far apart and in no pattern
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