smattering

noun

smat·​ter·​ing ˈsma-tə-riŋ How to pronounce smattering (audio)
1
: superficial piecemeal knowledge
a smattering of carpentry, house painting, bricklayingAlva Johnston
2
: a small scattered number or amount
a smattering of spectators

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Elsewhere next week, there will be a smattering of earnings reports from enterprise software giant Salesforce, as well as discount stores Dollar General and Dollar Tree. Sarah Min, CNBC, 29 Nov. 2024 The United States supplies most of the exports, a majority of which head to Mexico, largely through Laredo and other Texas border crossings, and Canada provides a smattering of imports, largely through the Detroit and Buffalo areas. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Ken Roberts, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024 Up and down the couple’s street were a smattering of yard signs, evenly split between Harris and Trump and interspersed with Halloween decorations. Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2024 There aren’t just a smattering of issues, but a shocking number of problems — any one of which would reasonably warrant abandoning the series for good. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for smattering 

Word History

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of smattering was in 1538

Dictionary Entries Near smattering

Cite this Entry

“Smattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smattering. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

smattering

noun
smat·​ter·​ing ˈsmat-ə-riŋ How to pronounce smattering (audio)
1
: a small amount of knowledge
a smattering of French
2
: a small scattered number

More from Merriam-Webster on smattering

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!