/ spəˈrædɪk; NAmE / adjective
happening only occasionally or at intervals that are not regular
SYN intermittent :
sporadic fighting / gunfire / violence, etc.
sporadic outbreaks of the disease
► spor·ad·ic·al·ly / -kli; NAmE / adverb :
She attended lectures only sporadically.
Fighting continued sporadically for two months.
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WORD ORIGIN
late 17th cent.: via medieval Latin from Greek sporadikos , from sporas , sporad- scattered; related to speirein to sow.