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
This presented significant challenges to utilities because of the intermittent nature of renewable energy.
—Greg Robinson, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Plus: Expect intermittent closures of Pennsylvania Avenue between the 2200-2400 blocks on Monday.
—Mike D'onofrio, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024
Bitcoin miners can help renewable energy facilities, whose output is intermittent, resulting in inconsistent revenues, by evening out their revenue by purchasing excess energy at times when, say, wind is plentiful but demand is low, and by shutting off their facilities when usage is high.
—Laura Shin, TIME, 29 Oct. 2024
Damage from the storm also caused intermittent phone outages for incoming and outgoing calls for all facilities within the healthcare system.
—NBC News, 29 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for intermittent 
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Greg Robinson, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Plus: Expect intermittent closures of Pennsylvania Avenue between the 2200-2400 blocks on Monday.
—Mike D'onofrio, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024
Bitcoin miners can help renewable energy facilities, whose output is intermittent, resulting in inconsistent revenues, by evening out their revenue by purchasing excess energy at times when, say, wind is plentiful but demand is low, and by shutting off their facilities when usage is high.
—Laura Shin, TIME, 29 Oct. 2024
Damage from the storm also caused intermittent phone outages for incoming and outgoing calls for all facilities within the healthcare system.
—NBC News, 29 Sep. 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 22 Nov. 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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