intermittent
adjective
in·ter·mit·tent
ˌin-tər-ˈmi-tᵊnt 
1
: coming and going at intervals : not continuous
intermittent rain
2
of a stream or body of water
: appearing and disappearing seasonally : sometimes dry
intermittently
adverb
raining intermittently
Synonyms
Examples of intermittent in a Sentence
In the intermittent light he could make out the shape of a solitary oak tree, spreading great arms from its short tremendous trunk.
—
Susan Cooper, The Dark is Rising, (1973) 1999
Decades of intermittent but recurring controversies with imperial authorities, and the lodestar of the glorious Revolution, disposed Americans to continue to believe that representation existed, first and foremost, to protect the rights of their communities against the abuse of executive power.
—Jack N. Rakove, Original Meanings, 1996
Bronchodilators continue to play an important role in asthma treatment, especially for people who have relatively mild or intermittent attacks.
—Stephen Hoffmann, Harvard Medical School Health Letter, June 1991
The patient was having intermittent pains in his side.
The forecast is for intermittent rain.
Susan Cooper, The Dark is Rising, (1973) 1999
Decades of intermittent but recurring controversies with imperial authorities, and the lodestar of the glorious Revolution, disposed Americans to continue to believe that representation existed, first and foremost, to protect the rights of their communities against the abuse of executive power.
—Jack N. Rakove, Original Meanings, 1996
Bronchodilators continue to play an important role in asthma treatment, especially for people who have relatively mild or intermittent attacks.
—Stephen Hoffmann, Harvard Medical School Health Letter, June 1991
The patient was having intermittent pains in his side.
The forecast is for intermittent rain.
Recent Examples on the Web
Hegseth and his supporters have defended his resume, which includes degrees from Princeton and Harvard and intermittent service over 20 years in the Army National Guard, which included tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, achieving the rank of major, and advocating for veterans.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2024
Like other parts of the home, toilets need intermittent repairs, especially to their valves, gaskets, and flanges—not to mention the occasional toilet unclogging.
—Rabekah Henderson, Southern Living, 5 Dec. 2024
If a company universally measures work ethic based on the number of hours in an office, younger generations that prefer a flexible schedule or intermittent work hours could be unfairly measured as less effective.
—Nick Leighton, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
After several days of intermittent outages — culminating in people unable to access many of the sites for long stretches on the first day of early voting — Florida county elections office websites appeared to be working on Tuesday.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for intermittent 
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Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2024
Like other parts of the home, toilets need intermittent repairs, especially to their valves, gaskets, and flanges—not to mention the occasional toilet unclogging.
—Rabekah Henderson, Southern Living, 5 Dec. 2024
If a company universally measures work ethic based on the number of hours in an office, younger generations that prefer a flexible schedule or intermittent work hours could be unfairly measured as less effective.
—Nick Leighton, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
After several days of intermittent outages — culminating in people unable to access many of the sites for long stretches on the first day of early voting — Florida county elections office websites appeared to be working on Tuesday.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for intermittent
Dictionary Entries Near intermittent
Cite this Entry
“Intermittent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intermittent. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
intermittent
adjective
in·ter·mit·tent
ˌint-ər-ˈmit-ᵊnt
: starting, stopping, and starting again
an intermittent fever
intermittently
adverb
Medical Definition
intermittent
adjective
in·ter·mit·tent
ˌint-ər-ˈmit-ᵊnt
: coming and going at intervals : not continuous
intermittent fever
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