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
Synonyms
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
This white artificial tree stands at 7 feet tall and features a smattering of soft white lights to elevate your space.
—Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023
It's all topped off with a layer of melty Cheddar cheese, more bacon, and a smattering of scallions for a bright, oniony finish.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 4 Nov. 2023
Expect smatterings of New England leaves to be on display throughout the journey.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2023
At Tuesday’s ceremony in Los Angeles City Hall, Council member Nithya Raman, who represents the district that includes Hollywoodland, introduced the official proclamation to a smattering of applause.
—Reis Thebault, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2023
The island has a small smattering of quaint hotels and bed-and-breakfasts, but this is the type of place to settle into a house rental for barbecuing in the yard and feasting on oysters available at nearby farms between April and November.
—Sara Lieberman, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2023
Outside of the eighth-grade chapters specific to recent climate change, the subject appears in a smattering of other places but not always robustly.
—Katie Worth, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2023
In the season’s final moments, a smattering of news clips confirm a meningitis outbreak linked to tainted saw palmetto berry extract, just as Jillian had feared.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Aug. 2023
Past the velvety, golden lid of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam eyeshadow palette is a glorious spread of warm hues, romantic purples and pinks, and a smattering of shimmery metallics — all tied together with a few dark shades to add some depth to the spectrum.
—Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 21 Aug. 2023
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Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023
It's all topped off with a layer of melty Cheddar cheese, more bacon, and a smattering of scallions for a bright, oniony finish.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 4 Nov. 2023
Expect smatterings of New England leaves to be on display throughout the journey.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2023
At Tuesday’s ceremony in Los Angeles City Hall, Council member Nithya Raman, who represents the district that includes Hollywoodland, introduced the official proclamation to a smattering of applause.
—Reis Thebault, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2023
The island has a small smattering of quaint hotels and bed-and-breakfasts, but this is the type of place to settle into a house rental for barbecuing in the yard and feasting on oysters available at nearby farms between April and November.
—Sara Lieberman, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2023
Outside of the eighth-grade chapters specific to recent climate change, the subject appears in a smattering of other places but not always robustly.
—Katie Worth, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2023
In the season’s final moments, a smattering of news clips confirm a meningitis outbreak linked to tainted saw palmetto berry extract, just as Jillian had feared.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Aug. 2023
Past the velvety, golden lid of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam eyeshadow palette is a glorious spread of warm hues, romantic purples and pinks, and a smattering of shimmery metallics — all tied together with a few dark shades to add some depth to the spectrum.
—Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 21 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smattering.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near smattering
Cite this Entry
“Smattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smattering. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
smattering
noun
smat·ter·ing
ˈsmat-ə-riŋ
1
: a small amount of knowledge
a smattering of French
2
: a small scattered number
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