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
Moments after the initial results were posted Tuesday evening, a smattering of cheers arose from a crowd of dozens of prosecutors, inspectors and at least two Alameda County supervisors who gathered at Jones Dickson’s watch party in Oakland.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
Older voters and voters who recently moved back to Elk Grove were the large majority at the senior center polling place, but Johnson saw a smattering of young and first-time voters early Tuesday.
—Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
Brown only played a smattering of snaps during 11-on-11s in Tuesday’s practice.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 2 June 2026
The mix of guests here varies between GCC countries and vacationing Europeans, depending on the season, with a smattering of American accents and global executives year-round.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 June 2026
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Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
Older voters and voters who recently moved back to Elk Grove were the large majority at the senior center polling place, but Johnson saw a smattering of young and first-time voters early Tuesday.
—Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
Brown only played a smattering of snaps during 11-on-11s in Tuesday’s practice.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 2 June 2026
The mix of guests here varies between GCC countries and vacationing Europeans, depending on the season, with a smattering of American accents and global executives year-round.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 June 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 8 Jun. 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
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