sporadically

adverb

spo·​rad·​i·​cal·​ly spə-ˈra-di-k(ə-)lē 

: in a sporadic manner : not regularly or constantly

gunfire being heard sporadically

software updates that appear sporadically

Originally from the western Pacific Ocean, the shrimp have been spotted sporadically in U.S. waters for the past two decades.

—Rick Jervis

Even when the sun is being well behaved, parcels of plasma shoot sporadically toward Earth's dark side, prompting a bright aurora and intensifying radiation belts.

—Tim Beardsley

Examples of sporadically in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The country has sporadically attacked ships in and around the Persian Gulf and may have laid mines to deter shipowners and crews from attempting to traverse the narrow waterway. —Angela Cullen, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026

Those soft stripes are seen woven sporadically throughout the fluffy look, like in her tendrils and along the crown. —Marci Robin, Allure, 8 Apr. 2026

Over the next nine months of repairs, time started and stopped sporadically. —Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 5 Apr. 2026

No group has claimed responsibility but residents told The Associated Press that many gunmen on bikes shot sporadically into the community. —ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sporadically

• radically