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

For a studio that once made sequels only sporadically, these box-office grosses have raised questions about the viability of original Pixar stories going forward. —Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026

Human cases have been sporadically reported in people who have recently traveled outside of the United States. —Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026

After a bout of deadly storms brought tornadoes and hail damage to northwestern Oklahoma on Thursday night, another round of severe weather began in the central part of the state in the afternoon on Friday, March 6, and continued sporadically into the early evening. —Dale Denwalt, Oklahoman, 6 Mar. 2026

In recent months, hundreds of emails between Epstein and Siegal have been unleashed sporadically by the Department of Justice after a bipartisan House vote forced their release. —Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 5 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sporadically

• radically