Sporadically: Definition, Usage & Common Mistakes

Meaning 1：at irregular intervals (sporadically)

sporadically 🔊

/spəˈrædɪkli/

adv.

Something happens only once in a while and not at regular times.

Illustration of sporadically meaning: smartphone receiving notifications at random, irregular intervals

at irregular intervals 🔊

➕

/ət ɪˈrɛɡjələr ˈɪntəvəlz/

adv.

Describes an action or event that happens occasionally, infrequently, and without a fixed or predictable pattern.

📁 Category：Time & Dates 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Greek 'sporadikos' (scattered) via Latin and French, meaning 'occurring in scattered instances'.

💡 Mnemonic

"Spot a rat" (sounds like 'sporad') occasionally in the attic. Think: seeing something only once in a while.

📖 Example

I only sporadically check my work email on weekends, when I remember. 🔊 This example shows checking email happens infrequently and without a set schedule.

🔗 Collocations

occur sporadically – to happen at scattered and unpredictable times

appear sporadically – to show up only now and then

fire sporadically – to shoot at irregular intervals (literal or figurative)

🔄 Synonyms

intermittently (adv.) – stopping and starting at irregular intervals

occasionally (adv.) – from time to time; not regularly

infrequently (adv.) – not occurring often; rarely

🚫 Antonyms

constantly (adv.) – continuously over a period of time

regularly (adv.) – at uniform intervals of time

continuously (adv.) – without interruption

🌱 Derivatives

sporadic (adj.) – occurring at irregular intervals; scattered or isolated

sporadicalness (n.) – the quality of being sporadic

sporadicity (n.) – the state or condition of being sporadic

📖 Cultural Story

Derived from the Greek 'sporadikos', meaning 'scattered'. It entered English via Medieval Latin and French. In modern usage, it often describes irregular events in medicine (sporadic outbreaks), technology (sporadic updates), or nature (sporadic rainfall), emphasizing unpredictability.