episodic

adjective

ep·​i·​sod·​ic ˌe-pə-ˈsä-dik 

also

-ˈzä- 

variants or less commonly episodical

ˌe-pə-ˈsä-di-kəl 

 also  -ˈzä-

1

: made up of separate especially loosely connected episodes

2

: having the form of an episode

3

: of or limited in duration or significance to a particular episode : temporary

may be able to establish whether the sea-floor spreading is continuous or episodic

—A. I. Hammond

4

: occurring, appearing, or changing at usually irregular intervals : occasional

an episodic illness

episodically

ˌe-pə-ˈsä-di-k(ə-)lē 

 also  -ˈzä-

adverb

Synonyms

• periodical
• serial
• serialized

Examples of episodic in a Sentence

the long novel was filmed for television as an episodic movie that was shown over the course of five evenings

malaria is characterized by episodic attacks of chills and fever that coincide with mass destruction of blood cells

Recent Examples on the Web

This series in collaboration with the cast and crew has proven there is a hunger to explore new frontiers in an episodic format, where actors have freedom to challenge themselves and take risks. —Nick Caruso, TVLine, 4 Nov. 2024

David Prior’s and Jennifer Kent’s episodes are standouts, but nearly every short story is well acted and immaculately designed (including the episodic prologues that feature del Toro tinkering with a gigantic physical prop of the titular cabinet) and will leave you wanting more. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2024

Although the strike led to a decrease in episodic television production during the 2023-24 season, 1,430 episodes produced reflected hiring across six of seven different demographic categories. —Andrés Buenahora, Variety, 25 Oct. 2024

Balancing that cinematic scale with the demands of an episodic format for Netflix pushed us to our limits. —Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1711, in the meaning defined at sense 1