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sporadic

 - 5 dictionary results

spo⋅rad⋅ic

  [spuh-rad-ik]
–adjective
1. (of similar things or occurrences) appearing or happening at irregular intervals in time; occasional: sporadic renewals of enthusiasm.
2. appearing in scattered or isolated instances, as a disease.
3. isolated, as a single instance of something; being or occurring apart from others.
4. occurring singly or widely apart in locality: the sporadic growth of plants.
Use sporadic in a Sentence
Also, spo⋅rad⋅i⋅cal.

Origin:
1680–90; < ML sporadicus < Gk sporadikós, equiv. to sporad- (s. of sporás strewn, akin to sporá spore ) + -ikos -ic

Related forms:
spo⋅rad⋅i⋅cal⋅ly, adverb
spo⋅rad⋅i⋅cal⋅ness, noun
spo⋅ra⋅dic⋅i⋅ty  [spawr-uh-dis-i-tee, spohr-] , spo⋅ra⋅dism, noun

Synonyms:
3. separate, unconnected.

Antonyms:
1. continuous.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To sporadic
spo·rad·ic   (spə-rād'ĭk, spô-)   
adj.  

  1. Occurring at irregular intervals; having no pattern or order in time. See Synonyms at periodic.

  2. Appearing singly or at widely scattered localities, as a plant or disease.

  3. Isolated; unique: a sporadic example.


[Medieval Latin sporadicus, scattered, from Greek sporadikos, from sporas, sporad-; see sper- in Indo-European roots.]
spo·rad'i·cal·ly adv., spo·rad'i·cal·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

sporadic 
1654 (implied in sporadical), from M.L. sporadicus "scattered," from Gk. sporadikos "scattered," from sporas (gen. sporados) "scattered," from spora "a sowing" (see spore). Originally a medical term, "occurring in scattered instances;" the meaning "happening at intervals" is first recorded 1847.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: spo·rad·ic
Pronunciation: sp&-'rad-ik
Function: adjective
: occurring occasionally, singly, or in scattered instances<sporadic diseases> —compare ENDEMIC, EPIDEMIC1 —spo·rad·i·cal·ly /-i-k(&-)lE/ adverb
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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sporadic spo·rad·ic (spə-rād'ĭk, spô-) or spo·rad·i·cal (-ĭ-kəl)
adj.

  1. Occurring at irregular intervals.

  2. Occurring singly; not grouped.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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