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
On that same day, her younger brother Jack Schlossberg paid an emotional tribute to her by sharing a smattering of quotes on Instagram.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 6 Jan. 2026
For the intimate ceremony, which included a smattering of reporters and his close family members, the mayor chose a black velvet suit with a long, slim-fitting jacket, paired with a classic white shirt.
—Laia Garcia-Furtado, Vogue, 1 Jan. 2026
On Tuesday, Tocchet returned to Vancouver and was recognized on the big screen midway through the first period, met by both boisterous boos and a smattering of cheers.
—CBS News, 31 Dec. 2025
Old Faithful Lodge Cabins Another historic park property set near Old Faithful, Old Faithful Lodge Cabins has roots going back to the 1920s and a smattering of cabins set around a main lodge (which has tremendous views of the geyser).
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2025
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.
Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 6 Jan. 2026
For the intimate ceremony, which included a smattering of reporters and his close family members, the mayor chose a black velvet suit with a long, slim-fitting jacket, paired with a classic white shirt.
—Laia Garcia-Furtado, Vogue, 1 Jan. 2026
On Tuesday, Tocchet returned to Vancouver and was recognized on the big screen midway through the first period, met by both boisterous boos and a smattering of cheers.
—CBS News, 31 Dec. 2025
Old Faithful Lodge Cabins Another historic park property set near Old Faithful, Old Faithful Lodge Cabins has roots going back to the 1920s and a smattering of cabins set around a main lodge (which has tremendous views of the geyser).
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2025
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 Jan. 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
Share