smattering

noun

smat·ter·ing | \ ˈsma-tə-riŋ

How to pronounce smattering (audio)

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Definition of smattering

1 : superficial piecemeal knowledge a smattering of carpentry, house painting, bricklaying— Alva Johnston

2 : a small scattered number or amount a smattering of spectators

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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 Next year, there may be more than a smattering of fans to watch them. — Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, "When in 2021 will pro, college and youth sports return to normal?," 31 Dec. 2020 More than 19,000 African Union peacekeepers from a smattering of countries around the continent remain in Somalia, and Turkey is training around 10,000 regular soldiers as well as small contingents of special forces. — Washington Post, "As U.S. forces leave, Somalia’s elite fighting unit fears becoming a political pawn," 29 Dec. 2020 More than 19,000 African Union peacekeepers from a smattering of countries around the continent remain in Somalia, and Turkey is training around 10,000 regular soldiers as well as small contingents of special forces. — Max Bearak, BostonGlobe.com, "As US forces leave, Somalia’s elite fighting unit fears becoming a political pawn," 29 Dec. 2020 The Senate Banking Committee advanced Waller’s nomination in July with a smattering of opposition and some bipartisan support. — Laura Litvan, Bloomberg.com, "Waller’s Fed Nomination Heads for Final Vote as Shelton Stalled," 2 Dec. 2020 With just a smattering of does coming into estrous, the main whitetail rut is on its last legs. — Scott Bestul, Field & Stream, "The 7 Best Days of the 2020 Whitetail Deer Rut," 20 Oct. 2020 With her ungovernable mass of red hair and equally prodigious smattering of freckles, her face seemingly devoid of makeup, Sybylla even looked like me, sort of. — Washington Post, "In ‘My Brilliant Career,’ I recognized an uncanny mirror image. And a cautionary tale.," 16 Jan. 2021 This year’s conference offered some news along these lines, such as Vir Biotechnology and Gilead’s partnership to find a functional cure for hepatitis B, and a smattering of other deals. — Sy Mukherjee, Fortune, "Pfizer or Moderna? A COVID vaccine distribution dilemma," 14 Jan. 2021 Outside the Capitol complex, amid extremely tight security, there was a smattering of small protests. — Donna Owens, Essence, "An Inauguration Day of ‘History and Hope’," 21 Jan. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'smattering.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

22 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Smattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smattering. Accessed 4 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for smattering

smattering

noun

English Language Learners Definition of smattering

: a small amount of something

See the full definition for smattering in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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