sporadic

adjective

spo·​rad·​ic spə-ˈra-dik 

: occurring occasionally, singly, or in irregular or random instances

sporadic protests

a sporadic disease

Did you know?

Sporadic Has Medieval Latin Roots

You never know where or when the occasion to use sporadic will pop up, but when it does, sporadic is the perfect choice to describe something that happens randomly or irregularly, often in scattered instances or isolated outbursts. The word comes from Medieval Latin sporadicus, which is itself derived from Greek sporadēn, meaning “here and there.” It is also related to the Greek verb speirein (“to sow”), the ancestor from which we get our word spore (the reproductive cell of a fungus, microorganism, or some plants), hinting at the seemingly scattered nature by which such cells spread and germinate.

Synonyms

• aperiodic
• casual
• catchy
• choppy
• discontinuous
• episodic
• episodical
• erratic
• fitful
• intermittent
• irregular
• occasional
• spasmodic
• spastic
• spotty
• unsteady

Choose the Right Synonym for sporadic

infrequent, uncommon, scarce, rare, sporadic mean not common or abundant.

infrequent implies occurrence at wide intervals in space or time.

infrequent family visits

uncommon suggests a frequency below normal expectation.

smallpox is now uncommon in many countries

scarce implies falling short of a standard or required abundance.

jobs were scarce during the Depression

rare suggests extreme scarcity or infrequency and often implies consequent high value.

rare first editions

sporadic implies occurrence in scattered instances or isolated outbursts.

sporadic cases of influenza

Examples of sporadic in a Sentence

The law was indeed tightened, prohibiting the employment of illegal aliens on the valid assumption that removing the magnet of jobs is necessary to stem illegal immigration. But enforcement was sporadic at best, and has now virtually ceased. —Mark Krikorian, National Review, 26 Jan. 2004

I left Madras twenty years ago. Two marriages and three children later I am a different man from the one who left. My return visits have been sporadic. But there is great delight in a homecoming. —Abraham Verghese, Atlantic, February 2001

The Bronx begins here physically, and it began here historically as well; this was the site of Jonas Bronck's farmhouse. Not much is known about him: he was a Swedish sea captain who was induced to settle the area by the Dutch West India Company. A peace treaty signed at Bronck's house ended years of sporadic but bloody skirmishes between the Dutch and the Weckquasgeeks. —Marcus Laffey, New Yorker, 15 May 2000

Sporadic cases of the disease were reported.

sporadic loud noises kept startling everyone

Recent Examples on the Web

China has snubbed the Pentagon’s efforts to maintain military-to-military dialogue, and although former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin finally met his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun in May 2024, contacts remain sporadic. —Sergey Radchenko, Foreign Affairs, 18 Feb. 2025

Even with those limitations in place, the state’s procurement of EVs has been sporadic. —John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 14 Feb. 2025

During Trump’s first term, briefings at times were more sporadic, and one press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, held none at all. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 15 Jan. 2025

FRBs are sporadic, intense flashes of radio wave energy that can be brighter than entire galaxies. —John Loeffler, Space.com, 7 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin sporadicus, from Greek sporadikos, from sporadēn here and there, from sporad-, sporas scattered; akin to Greek speirein to sow — more at sperm

First Known Use

circa 1689, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing sporadic

• sporadic E layer

Rhymes for sporadic

• dyadic
• faradic
• monadic
• nomadic
• triadic
• haddock
• paddock

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Kids Definition

sporadic

adjective

spo·​rad·​ic spə-ˈrad-ik 

: occurring or done now and then

sporadically

-ˈrad-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Medical Definition

sporadic

adjective

spo·​rad·​ic spə-ˈrad-ik 

1

: occurring occasionally, singly, or in scattered instances

sporadic diseases

compare endemic, epidemic sense 1

2

: arising or occurring randomly with no known cause

sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

sporadically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb