sporadic

S1P3O1R1A1D2I1C3
UK, US/spəˈɹæd.ɪk/

adjective

(of diseases) occurring in isolated instances; not epidemic.

Similar
episodicfitfulspasmodicintermittentperiodicoccasionalirregularunpredictable
Opposite
continual
OriginMedieval Latin sporadicus ← Ancient Greek σποραδικός →
Less commonScrabble 13
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Meanings

adjectivesporadic (comparative more sporadic, superlative most sporadic)

comparative more sporadic · superlative most sporadic

  1. archaic(of diseases) occurring in isolated instances; not epidemic.
  2. Rare and scattered in occurrence.

    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.

    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)

    Synonyms: episodic

  3. Exhibiting random behavior; patternless.
  4. mathematicsNot belonging to any infinite family; an exception to an otherwise orderly classification.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveRare and scattered in occurrence.

Similar
episodic

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiverecurring in scattered and irregular or unpredictable instances

Similar
fitfulspasmodicintermittentperiodicoccasionalirregularunpredictable
Opposite
continual
Also see
adventitiousfitfulinstantialintermittentirregularisolatedoccasionalperiodicspasmodicsporadicalstrayundependableunpredictableunreliable

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekσποραδικός
  2. Medieval Latinsporadicus
  3. Englishsporadic

From Medieval Latin sporadicus (whence also French sporadique, Italian sporadico, Spanish esporádico), from Ancient Greek σποραδικός (sporadikós), from σποράς (sporás, “scattered, dispersed”), from σπορά (sporá), σπόρος (spóros, “a sowing [of seed]”).

More words from Medieval Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek σπορᾰδῐκός
  • σπορᾰδῐκός (sporădĭkós)rare and scattered in occurrence
Bengali বিক্ষিপ্ত
  • বিক্ষিপ্ত (bikkhipto)rare and scattered in occurrence
Bulgarian единичен, случаен
  • единичен (ediničen)rare and scattered in occurrence
  • случаен (slučaen)rare and scattered in occurrence
  • спорадичен (sporadičen)exhibiting random behaviour
Catalan esporàdic, esporàdic
  • esporàdicrare and scattered in occurrence
  • esporàdicexhibiting random behaviour
Chinese Mandarin 零星, 哩哩啦啦
  • 零星 (língxīng)rare and scattered in occurrence
  • 哩哩啦啦 (līlīlālā)rare and scattered in occurrence
  • 偶爾發生的 /偶尔发生的 (ǒu'ěr fāshēng de)rare and scattered in occurrence
  • 無常 /无常 (wúcháng)rare and scattered in occurrence
  • 散亂 /散乱 (sànluàn)rare and scattered in occurrence
Czech ojedinělý, sporadický
  • ojedinělýrare and scattered in occurrence
  • sporadickýrare and scattered in occurrence
Danish sporadisk
  • sporadiskrare and scattered in occurrence
Dutch sporadisch
  • sporadischrare and scattered in occurrence
Finnish harvinainen, satunnainen
  • harvinainenrare and scattered in occurrence
  • satunnainenrare and scattered in occurrence
  • sporadinenrare and scattered in occurrence
  • satunnainenexhibiting random behaviour
  • hajanainenexhibiting random behaviour
  • sporadinenexhibiting random behaviour
French sporadique
  • sporadiquerare and scattered in occurrence
German sporadisch
  • sporadischrare and scattered in occurrence
Greek σποραδικός
  • σποραδικός (sporadikós)rare and scattered in occurrence
Indonesian sporadis
  • sporadisrare and scattered in occurrence
Italian sporadico
  • sporadicorare and scattered in occurrence
Japanese 散発的な
  • 散発的な (sanpatsuteki na)rare and scattered in occurrence
Latin sporadicus
  • sporadicusrare and scattered in occurrence
Norwegian Bokmål sporadisk
  • sporadiskrare and scattered in occurrence
Polish sporadyczny, sporadyczny
  • sporadycznyrare and scattered in occurrence
  • sporadycznyexhibiting random behaviour
Portuguese esporádico, pontual
  • esporádicorare and scattered in occurrence
  • pontualrare and scattered in occurrence
Romanian sporadic
  • sporadicrare and scattered in occurrence
Russian споради́ческий, едини́чный
  • споради́ческий (sporadíčeskij)rare and scattered in occurrence
  • едини́чный (jediníčnyj)rare and scattered in occurrence
  • случа́йный (slučájnyj)rare and scattered in occurrence
  • спорадический (sporadičeskij)exhibiting random behaviour
Spanish esporádico, esporádico
  • esporádicorare and scattered in occurrence
  • esporádicoexhibiting random behaviour
  • guadianescoexhibiting random behaviour
Swedish sporadisk
  • sporadiskrare and scattered in occurrence
Tagalog manaka-naka
  • manaka-nakarare and scattered in occurrence
Turkish ara sıra, tek tük
  • ara sırarare and scattered in occurrence
  • tek tükrare and scattered in occurrence
Ukrainian споради́чний, споради́чний
  • споради́чний (sporadýčnyj)rare and scattered in occurrence
  • споради́чний (sporadýčnyj)exhibiting random behaviour

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with sporadic

nomadicdyadicsaccadicCycladictriadicvariadictornadicdecadicdodecadicenneadicHelladichexadicniladictetradiczeroadic
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

sporadic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sporadic

MLA

“sporadic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sporadic. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sporadic,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sporadic.

Source: sporadic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.