Pronunciation: (spu-rad'ik), [key]
1. (of similar things or occurrences) appearing or happening at irregular intervals in time; occasional: sporadic renewals of enthusiasm.
2. appearing in scattered or isolated instances, as a disease.
3. isolated, as a single instance of something; being or occurring apart from others.
4. occurring singly or widely apart in locality: the sporadic growth of plants. Also,spo•rad'i•cal.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.