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View synonyms for

sporadic

[ spuh-rad-ik ]

adjective

  1. (of similar things or occurrences) appearing or happening at irregular intervals in time; occasional:

    sporadic renewals of enthusiasm.

    Antonyms:

  2. appearing in scattered or isolated instances, as a disease.
  3. isolated, as a single instance of something; being or occurring apart from others.

    Synonyms: ,

  4. occurring singly or widely apart in locality:

    the sporadic growth of plants.



sporadic

/ əˈæɪ /

adjective

  1. occurring at irregular points in time; intermittent

    sporadic firing

  2. scattered; isolated

    a sporadic disease

“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

  • ˈ徱, adverb
  • ˈ徱Ա, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • ···· adverb
  • ····Ա noun
  • ··徱··ٲ [spawr-, uh, -, dis, -i-tee], ··徱 noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of sporadic1

First recorded in 1680–90; from Medieval Latin sporadicus, from Greek ǰ徱ó, equivalent to sporad- (stem of ǰá “strewn,” akin to ǰá “sowing, seed”) + -ikos adjective suffix; spore, -ic
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Word History and Origins

Origin of sporadic1

C17: from Medieval Latin sporadicus, from Greek sporadikos, from sporas scattered; related to Greek speirein to sow; see spore
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Katsina, the home state of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, has witnessed sporadic attacks by bandits and kidnappers that have claimed many lives.

From

Bin workers who belong to the Unite union began an all-out strike on 11 March, following sporadic walkouts since January.

From

In the ruling, the judge spoke of Brooks's "sporadic" engagement.

From

But over the last seven years their relationship has become increasingly strained amid ethnic tensions and sporadic violence.

From

For decades, this fixture kept the police stretched with drunken sporadic violence.

From

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Sporadessporadically