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View synonyms for

episodic

[ ep-uh-sod-ik, -zod- ]

adjective

  1. pertaining to or of the nature of an episode.
  2. divided into separate or tenuously related parts or sections; loosely connected:

    an episodic novel.

    Synonyms: , ,

  3. occurring sporadically or incidentally.


episodic

/ ˌɛɪˈɒɪ /

adjective

  1. resembling or relating to an episode
  2. divided into or composed of episodes
  3. irregular, occasional, or sporadic
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˌ辱ˈǻ徱, adverb
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Other Word Forms

  • i·ǻi·· adverb
  • ԴDze··ǻi adjective
  • ԴDze··ǻi· adjective
  • ԴDze··ǻi··ly adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of episodic1

First recorded in 1705–15; episode + -ic
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Minahan, a TV veteran, eventually falls into the trap of episodic management, to the point where characters lose their individuality within the story’s growing dependence on constructs, gestures and making points.

From

That is, our episodic memories are pieced together from a small number of concepts embellished by the brain's tendency to make up less important details, or to remain fuzzy about them.

From

He said he’s had discussions about other episodic content that could play in theaters, but that the content must be right for such a strategy.

From

Lost Records is seen as a spiritual successor and uses a similar, episodic structure, split across two "tapes".

From

The seasonal arc might be described as “cumulative episodic,” in which discrete stories incidentally detail the assembly of a slate of pictures.

From

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More About Episodic

doesepisodic mean?

Episodic describes things that are divided into episodes—parts or installments in a series.

The word episode is perhaps most popularly used to refer to one of the parts that a TV series is divided into, as in I’ve seen every single episode of The Office. A TV show is especially described as episodic when each episode is its own standalone story, as in Showrunners are planning to make the reboot more episodic, with each episode being its own adventure. (Of course, many shows have episodes that contain a standalone story that also ties into the bigger narrative.)

A more general sense of the word episode refers to a specific incident in a continuous series of events or an occurrence of a recurring event. In this way, episodic can be used to describe things that occur occasionally or at irregular intervals. Similar terms are occasional, irregular, and sporadic.

Example: Epilepsy is sometimes described as an episodic disability because seizures happen at irregular intervals.

Where doesepisodic come from?

The first records of the word episodic come from the early 1700s. It ultimately comes from the Greek 𾱲ó徱Dz, meaning “addition” or “parenthetic narrative.” In the context of ancient Greek drama, the word episode refers to one of the particular sections or interludes that occur between other parts of the play (the word epeisodion means the same thing and is based on the same root). The suffix -ic is used to form adjectives.

When episodic is used to describe something like a TV show or podcast, it often means that you could watch a random episode and follow the story for the most part. Series that are described as less episodic are those in which each episode is mainly focused on advancing a larger narrative.

Did you know ... ?

are some other forms related to episodic?

  • episodical (adjective)
  • episodically (adverb)
  • nonepisodic (adjective)
  • episode (noun)

are some synonyms for episodic?

are some words that share a root or word element with episodic?

are some words that often get used in discussing episodic?

How isepisodic used in real life?

Episodic is most commonly used in the context of installments of things like TV shows and podcasts.

Try usingepisodic!

Is episodic used correctly in the following sentence?

The treatment is intended to reduce the frequency of episodic headaches.

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episodeepisodic memory