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

Davis continued to field Busch Series entrants sporadically throughout his career, with full-time teams later in his career. —Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025

Lay the broken pieces in a pattern or sporadically for a mosaic look. —Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Aug. 2025

The narrative sporadically darts into his consciousness, reflecting a conflicted conscience and a degree of interiority that make the book revolutionary. —Lauren Groff, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025

Millimeter-wave 5G is the fastest wireless network technology available, though it is deployed only sporadically in select large cities around the country. —PC Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sporadically

• radically