Sporadic Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

Science

• In ecology, sporadic events like rainfall can influence the growth of certain plants that thrive on irregular weather patterns.
• Some diseases exhibit sporadic patterns, appearing in unusual outbreaks rather than as steady occurrences.
• Several celestial events, like meteor showers, are sporadic, occurring at specific times but not regularly.

Pop Culture

• In music, a sporadic release of albums by various artists creates buzz, as fans eagerly wait for the next surprise drop.
• Certain TV shows might have sporadic episodes released, leading to fan speculation about the storyline.
• Fashion trends can be sporadic, with styles coming and going at unexpected times, influenced by cultural shifts.

History

• Throughout history, conflicts and wars often occurred sporadically rather than continuously due to various socio-political factors.
• Natural disasters, like earthquakes, can also be sporadic, striking unexpectedly at irregular intervals.
• The construction of historical buildings often followed a sporadic timeline influenced by resource availability and funding.

Psychology

• Sporadic rewards in behavioral psychology are used to reinforce behaviors, encouraging unpredictability in learning.
• People may form sporadic connections in social settings, leading to rich but irregular friendships.
• The concept of sporadic memory refers to moments when we only remember certain events at random times, rather than consistently.

Main points about word origin

• The word comes from the Greek 'sporadikós', meaning 'scattered' or 'dispersed'.
• It entered the English language in the mid-19th century originally related to biology and diseases.
• The root 'spora' in Greek also relates to seeds, hinting at things that are spread out rather than bundled together.

The word 'sporadic' originated from the Late Latin word 'sporadicus', which derived from the Greek word 'sporadikos', meaning 'scattered'. The term was first used in English in the early 17th century to describe something occurring at irregular intervals or in isolated instances.

Ranked #12,230, this word falls into high-advanced vocabulary. It appears less frequently but is valuable for expressing precise meanings in specific contexts.

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• 12227 sorghum
• 12228 oblige
• 12229 imperfectly
• 12230 sporadic
• 12231 provocative
• 12232 lamented
• 12233 perched
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