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
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
Biohacking is a fancy term for lifestyle modifications that include cutting down on alcohol or coffee, incorporating intermittent fasting and strapping on devices that monitor body functions.
—R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
To contribute positively socially by growing edible food for the community and being an intermittent space for community gathering, creating useful things and being a useful space.
—Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Over the course of a year, people in the intermittent fasting group lost nearly 17 pounds—about 60% more than those who were asked to trim back their daily calories by one-third, according to the study.
—Dr. Alice Gao, ABC News, 31 Mar. 2025
Battery energy storage is a fast-growing segment of the nation's electricity system, allowing power utilities to make better use of intermittent renewable energy from wind and solar power and to improve grid resilience.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intermittent
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R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
To contribute positively socially by growing edible food for the community and being an intermittent space for community gathering, creating useful things and being a useful space.
—Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Over the course of a year, people in the intermittent fasting group lost nearly 17 pounds—about 60% more than those who were asked to trim back their daily calories by one-third, according to the study.
—Dr. Alice Gao, ABC News, 31 Mar. 2025
Battery energy storage is a fast-growing segment of the nation's electricity system, allowing power utilities to make better use of intermittent renewable energy from wind and solar power and to improve grid resilience.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intermittent
Cite this Entry
“Intermittent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intermittent. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.
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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