smattering
noun
smat·ter·ing
ˈsma-tə-riŋ 
1
: superficial piecemeal knowledge
a smattering of carpentry, house painting, bricklaying—
Alva Johnston
Alva Johnston2
: a small scattered number or amount
a smattering of spectators
Examples of smattering in a Sentence
She only knows a smattering of German.
a smattering of guests at the art exhibit
Recent Examples on the Web
The fake stained glass doors of the synagogue reopen, letting in a fog of smoke and a smattering of purple, quasi-bisexual light.
—Leah Abrams, Them., 17 Apr. 2025
There are also current events and a smattering of philosophy.
—Yvonne Zipp, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2025
The competition is mostly comprised of former and youth players, as well as a smattering of celebrities.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
The latter ownership has proven a huge success as the partners have used their near complete control of the retail zone to curate an offer of international names from athleisure to homewares, plus a smattering of luxury.
—Mark Faithfull, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
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Leah Abrams, Them., 17 Apr. 2025
There are also current events and a smattering of philosophy.
—Yvonne Zipp, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2025
The competition is mostly comprised of former and youth players, as well as a smattering of celebrities.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
The latter ownership has proven a huge success as the partners have used their near complete control of the retail zone to curate an offer of international names from athleisure to homewares, plus a smattering of luxury.
—Mark Faithfull, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smattering
Cite this Entry
“Smattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smattering. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
smattering
noun
smat·ter·ing
ˈsmat-ə-riŋ
1
: a small amount of knowledge
a smattering of French
2
: a small scattered number
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