Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Sporadic
Spo-rad′ic
(-răd′ĭk)
, Adj.
[Gr. [GREEK] scattered, fr. [GREEK], [GREEK], scattered, fr. [GREEK] to sow seed, to scatter like seed: cf. F.
sporadique
. See Spore
.] Occurring singly, or apart from other things of the same kind, or in scattered instances; separate; single;
as, a
sporadic
fireball; a sporadic
case of disease; a sporadic
example of a flower.Sporadic disease
(Med.)
, a disease which occurs in single and scattered cases. See the Note under
Endemic
, Adj.
Webster 1828 Edition
Sporadic
SPORADIC
, SPORADICAL,Adj.
Sporadic diseases are opposed to epidemics, as accidental, scattered complaints, neither general nor contagious.
Definition 2025
sporadic
sporadic
English
Alternative forms
Adjective
sporadic (comparative more sporadic, superlative most sporadic)
- (archaic) (of diseases) occurring in isolated instances; not epidemic.
- Rare and scattered in occurrence.
- 2015 March 12, Daniel Taylor, “Chelsea out of Champions League after Thiago Silva sends 10-man PSG through on away goals”, in The Guardian (London):
- It was a stodgy, weary display from Mourinho’s team with only sporadic moments when they threatened Salvatore Sirigu’s goal and their manager seemed bewildered afterwards when he tried to explain what had gone wrong.
-
- Exhibiting random behavior; patternless.
Derived terms
- sporadic E layer
Related terms
Translations
rare and scattered in occurrence
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exhibiting random behaviour
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Anagrams
References
- ↑ The Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, p. 2978.