smattering
noun
smat·ter·ing
ˈsma-tə-riŋ 
1
: superficial piecemeal knowledge
a smattering of carpentry, house painting, bricklaying—
Alva Johnston
Alva Johnston2
: a small scattered number or amount
a smattering of spectators
Synonyms
Examples of smattering in a Sentence
She only knows a smattering of German.
a smattering of guests at the art exhibit
Recent Examples on the Web
Depending on who's doing the counting and how good the year was, Michigan produces 65% to 74% of America's tart cherries, plus a smattering of sweets — a tidy portion of the state's $104.7 billion agriculture industry.
—Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 27 June 2024
Of course, Fauci includes a smattering of personal details.
—Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post, 16 June 2024
As high-end rentals in Bozeman spring up next to historic homes and new arrivals snap them up, a smattering of tents and RVs have begun to populate the outskirts of town: homeless residents priced out by rising rents.
—Kellen Browning Louise Johns, New York Times, 26 May 2024
For me, teaching is an act of creative improvisation featuring a lot of behind-the-scenes research and planning, conversation with students, questions, more questions, and a smattering of classroom jokes.
—Chris Doyle, Hartford Courant, 4 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for smattering 
Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 27 June 2024
Of course, Fauci includes a smattering of personal details.
—Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post, 16 June 2024
As high-end rentals in Bozeman spring up next to historic homes and new arrivals snap them up, a smattering of tents and RVs have begun to populate the outskirts of town: homeless residents priced out by rising rents.
—Kellen Browning Louise Johns, New York Times, 26 May 2024
For me, teaching is an act of creative improvisation featuring a lot of behind-the-scenes research and planning, conversation with students, questions, more questions, and a smattering of classroom jokes.
—Chris Doyle, Hartford Courant, 4 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for smattering
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smattering.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near smattering
Cite this Entry
“Smattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smattering. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
smattering
noun
smat·ter·ing
ˈsmat-ə-riŋ
1
: a small amount of knowledge
a smattering of French
2
: a small scattered number
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