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

Players trickled out sporadically, strolling to their respective vehicles, heading home for a little rest and relaxation prior to their game with the Sacramento Kings. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 5 Apr. 2025

But the community doesn’t count on the wildflowers each year for tourism and an economic boost, because the bloom happens so sporadically. —Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2025

Ye’s Sunday Service sessions began in early 2019 and ran sporadically through 2021. —Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 9 Mar. 2025

In later decades, loosening of immigration rules continued, sporadically. —Robert Petkoff Krish Seenivasan Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sporadically

• radically