sprinkling

noun

sprin·​kling ˈspriŋ-kliŋ How to pronounce sprinkling (audio)
1
: a limited quantity or amount : modicum
2
: a small quantity falling in scattered drops or particles
3
: a small number distributed at random : scattering

Examples of sprinkling in a Sentence

a sprinkling of fans showed up at the airport just a sprinkling of experience with the computer program
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Serve with the garnishes for sprinkling. Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025 Scott transforms her front yard at 1728 Hanson Lane into a theater of tombstones, complete with scores of skeletons, plenty of pumpkins and a generous sprinkling of ghosts. Regina Elling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2025 What follows is merely a sprinkling — a light blood spatter — of the new horror novels that kept us awake for all the right reasons this year. Neil McRobert, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025 Pacific Time, under a sprinkling Seattle sky and a closed roof at T-Mobile Park. Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sprinkling

Word History

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of sprinkling was in 1561

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sprinkling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sprinkling. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

sprinkling

noun
sprin·​kling ˈspriŋ-kliŋ How to pronounce sprinkling (audio)
: a very small number or amount

More from Merriam-Webster on sprinkling

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!