smattering
noun
smat·ter·ing
ˈsma-tə-riŋ 
1
: superficial piecemeal knowledge
… a smattering of carpentry, house painting, bricklaying …—
Alva Johnston
Alva Johnston2
: a small scattered number or amount
a smattering of spectators
Examples of smattering in a Sentence
She only knows a smattering of German.
a smattering of guests at the art exhibit
Recent Examples on the Web
Later, a smattering of boos met Israel’s four representatives at the Milan ceremony.
—Howard Fendrich, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
When your winter is essentially one never-ending polar vortex, your house is likely a smattering of salty puddles and footprints.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2026
The box contained a smattering of items, including ammunition, building materials, four cell phones and handwritten letters.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 4 Feb. 2026
Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock was interviewed by a smattering of reporters Monday night ahead of Super Bowl LX, and fortunately the queries were mostly tame.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smattering
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Howard Fendrich, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
When your winter is essentially one never-ending polar vortex, your house is likely a smattering of salty puddles and footprints.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2026
The box contained a smattering of items, including ammunition, building materials, four cell phones and handwritten letters.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 4 Feb. 2026
Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock was interviewed by a smattering of reporters Monday night ahead of Super Bowl LX, and fortunately the queries were mostly tame.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smattering
Cite this Entry
“Smattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smattering. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
smattering
noun
smat·ter·ing
ˈsmat-ə-riŋ
1
: a small amount of knowledge
a smattering of French
2
: a small scattered number
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
