scat·ter·ing
ˈska-tə-riŋ 
2
: something scattered: such as
a
: a small number or quantity interspersed here and there
a scattering of visitors
b
: the random change in direction of the particles constituting a beam or wave front due to collision with particles of the medium traversed
1
: going in various directions
2
: found or placed far apart and in no order
3
: divided among many or several
scattering votes
Examples of scattering in a Sentence
Noun
the scattering of the protesters suddenly turned violent and chaotic
a scattering of people in the mostly empty theater
Recent Examples on the Web
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 16 Oct. 2024
Cord cutting, the rise of TikTok and the scattering of audiences have made podcasts a more powerful platform for candidates this election cycle compared to last.
—Neal Rothschild, Axios, 13 Oct. 2024
Combining Halloween hues — oranges and blacks — with a delicate scattering of stars and moons, Jasmin’s witchy manicure does sound like a bit of a seasonal cliché.
—Mica Ricketts, refinery29.com, 10 Oct. 2024
There’s always a bunch of other stuff in the atmosphere that causes scattering, like water vapor, dust, and debris.
—Rhett Allain, WIRED, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scattering 
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Noun
Since the Walkman’s heyday in the 1980s, music has dissolved from a collective medium into a scattering of private soundtracks.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 16 Oct. 2024
Cord cutting, the rise of TikTok and the scattering of audiences have made podcasts a more powerful platform for candidates this election cycle compared to last.
—Neal Rothschild, Axios, 13 Oct. 2024
Combining Halloween hues — oranges and blacks — with a delicate scattering of stars and moons, Jasmin’s witchy manicure does sound like a bit of a seasonal cliché.
—Mica Ricketts, refinery29.com, 10 Oct. 2024
There’s always a bunch of other stuff in the atmosphere that causes scattering, like water vapor, dust, and debris.
—Rhett Allain, WIRED, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for scattering
Dictionary Entries Near scattering
Cite this Entry
“Scattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scattering. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scattering
1 of 2 noun
scat·ter·ing
ˈskat-ə-riŋ
1
: an act or process in which something scatters or is scattered
2
: something scattered
especially
: a small number or amount placed or found here and there
a scattering of visitors
scattering
2 of 2 adjective1
: going in various directions
2
: found or placed far apart and in no pattern
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