intermittent

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌɪntɚˈmɪtənt/ UK /ˌɪntəˈmɪtənt/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous

Intermittent rain forced them to keep ducking under the awning.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · occurring at irregular... sporadic periodic irregular occasional fitful spasmodic

Opposites

continuous constant incessant steady

Word family

Forms intermittence

Derived forms intermittentlyintermittenceintermittency

Related forms intermit remit admit commit

Etymology

From Latin intermittens, present participle of intermittere ('to leave off, interrupt'), from inter- ('between') + mittere ('to send, let go').

intermittere Latin mittere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# intermittent

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˌɪntɚˈmɪtənt
**IPA (UK):** ˌɪntəˈmɪtənt

## Meanings
1. occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous

## Examples
- Intermittent rain forced them to keep ducking under the awning.

## Synonyms
- sporadic
- periodic
- irregular
- occasional
- fitful
- spasmodic

## Antonyms
- continuous
- constant
- incessant
- steady

## Derived Forms
- intermittently
- intermittence
- intermittency

## Related Forms
- intermit
- remit
- admit
- commit

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: intermittere
- Root: mittere

## Etymology
From Latin intermittens, present participle of intermittere ('to leave off, interrupt'), from inter- ('between') + mittere ('to send, let go').

## AI Etymology
intermittent comes from Latin intermittens, present participle of intermittere ('to leave off, interrupt'), from inter- ('between') + mittere ('to send, let go'). Morphologically, the prefixed shape matters: the initial element belongs to the recorded formation and helps explain the modern form's surface analysis. In present English, the adjective sense is "occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous", so the historical development ends in a clearly identifiable modern dictionary use. The same base also appears in related forms such as intermit, remit, admit, and commit, and in derivatives such as intermittently, intermittence, and intermittency. Its semantic neighborhood includes sporadic, periodic, irregular, and occasional, which helps locate the modern sense without adding a separate etymological claim. The named historical forms include Latin intermittere and Latin mittere.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

markdown

intermittent

Meanings

Thesaurus

Etymology

Topics

Keyboard Shortcuts

General

Send feedback