sporadic

[ spuh-rad-ik ]
/ spəˈræd ɪk /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR sporadic ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

(of similar things or occurrences) appearing or happening at irregular intervals in time; occasional: sporadic renewals of enthusiasm.
appearing in scattered or isolated instances, as a disease.
isolated, as a single instance of something; being or occurring apart from others.
occurring singly or widely apart in locality: the sporadic growth of plants.
Sometimes spo·rad·i·cal.

Origin of sporadic

1680–90; < Medieval Latin sporadicus < Greek sporadikós, equivalent to sporad- (stem of sporás strewn, akin to sporá spore) + -ikos -ic

OTHER WORDS FROM sporadic

spo·rad·i·cal·ly, adverb spo·rad·i·cal·ness, noun spo·ra·dic·i·ty [spawr-uh-dis-i-tee, spohr-] /ˌspɔr əˈdɪs ɪ ti, ˌspoʊr-/, spo·ra·dism, noun

Words nearby sporadic

spoonworm, spoony, spoor, spor-, sporades, sporadic, sporangiophore, sporangiospore, sporangium, spore, spore case

Words related to sporadically

seldom, intermittently, occasionally, rarely, sparingly, infrequently, periodically, hardly, little, scarcely, uncommonly, unusually, again, betimes, sometimes, alternately, cyclically

Example sentences from the Web for sporadically

British Dictionary definitions for sporadically

sporadic
/ (spəˈrædɪk) /

adjective

occurring at irregular points in time; intermittent sporadic firing
scattered; isolated a sporadic disease

Derived forms of sporadic

sporadically, adverb sporadicalness, noun

Word Origin for sporadic

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

Medical definitions for sporadically

sporadic
[ spə-răd′ĭk, spô- ]

adj.

Occurring at irregular intervals.
Occurring singly; not grouped.