scat·ter·ing
ˈska-tə-riŋ 
2
: something scattered: such as
a
: a small number or quantity interspersed here and there
a scattering of visitors
b
: the random change in direction of the particles constituting a beam or wave front due to collision with particles of the medium traversed
1
: going in various directions
2
: found or placed far apart and in no order
3
: divided among many or several
scattering votes
Examples of scattering in a Sentence
Noun
the scattering of the protesters suddenly turned violent and chaotic
a scattering of people in the mostly empty theater
Recent Examples on the Web
Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
In this case, Raman spectroscopy uses Raman scattering, a process that sees how light interacts with molecular vibration.
—Discover Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
The remains — which included a skull and a scattering of separated bones — were collected from the beach destination and are slated to undergo forensic analysis to determine their origin and age, Newsweek reported.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 29 May 2025
Her matching set consisted of a pencil skirt and blazer cinched with a belt, all of which featured a scattering of white polka dots against a sky blue fabric.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scattering
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Noun
If the timing and surrounding environment are just right, those planets don’t get ejected but are trapped in extremely wide orbits — which could have happened in the solar system as Uranus and Neptune grew or the later scattering among gas giants.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
In this case, Raman spectroscopy uses Raman scattering, a process that sees how light interacts with molecular vibration.
—Discover Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
The remains — which included a skull and a scattering of separated bones — were collected from the beach destination and are slated to undergo forensic analysis to determine their origin and age, Newsweek reported.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 29 May 2025
Her matching set consisted of a pencil skirt and blazer cinched with a belt, all of which featured a scattering of white polka dots against a sky blue fabric.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scattering
Cite this Entry
“Scattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scattering. Accessed 22 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scattering
1 of 2 noun
scat·ter·ing
ˈskat-ə-riŋ
1
: an act or process in which something scatters or is scattered
2
: something scattered
especially
: a small number or amount placed or found here and there
a scattering of visitors
scattering
2 of 2 adjective1
: going in various directions
2
: found or placed far apart and in no pattern
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