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

While glossy versions of the model have been released sporadically throughout the years, the brand has recently put more of an emphasis on the patent leather finish including a pink colorway previewed by designer Frank Cooke. —Riley Jones, Footwear News, 24 Feb. 2026

That’s the exciting brand of soccer Wells has promised from the day he was hired — and the kind of sequence that played out sporadically at best over the past two seasons. —Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 21 Feb. 2026

Plants produce fragrant, creamy white blooms in mid-spring and sporadically throughout the summer. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2026

The 39-year-old has wrestled sporadically since but is now coming home May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 17 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sporadically

• radically