scattering
noun
Simple meaning
A small number dispersed haphazardly.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
skateringSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈskætɚɪŋ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A small number (of something) dispersed haphazardly
A small quantity of something being dispersed (at random points).
physics
The process whereby a beam of waves or particles is dispersed by collisions or similar interactions.
elections
The total number of votes awarded to nonmajor or unlisted candidates.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A small number (of something) dispersed haphazardly
Used this way, scattering is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It stays understated rather than dramatic. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Mild
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
A process of dispersing.
A small number (of something) dispersed haphazardly.
The act of scattering or dispersing.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
To cause to separate and go in different directions.
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Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.