intermittent
in-ter-MIT-uhnt
/ˌɪntərˈmɪtənt/
Occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous or steady.
Describes a problem or phenomenon that appears and disappears, rather than being constant or continuous. This makes it particularly challenging to diagnose and fix.
The story behind the word. The word 'intermittent' comes from the Latin 'intermittere', meaning 'to leave off', 'to interrupt', or 'to break off'. This Latin verb is formed from 'inter-' (meaning 'between' or 'among') and 'mittere' (meaning 'to send' or 'to let go'). So, something 'intermittent' is literally 'sent between' or 'let go between' periods of activity, creating a stop-and-start pattern. It's a perfect description for those frustrating problems that come and go.
Word relationships
- sporadic: Similar, but 'sporadic' often implies more irregular and scattered occurrences, while 'intermittent' can suggest a more regular pattern of stopping and starting.
- periodic: Occurring at regular intervals; 'intermittent' is at irregular intervals.
- occasional: Happening sometimes but not often; 'intermittent' emphasizes the stop-and-go nature.
- continuous: Forming an unbroken whole; without interruption.
- constant: Occurring continuously over a period of time.
- steady: Firmly fixed, supported, or balanced; not shaking or moving.
Commonly confused with
- glitch: An 'intermittent' problem describes the pattern of a problem (on-again, off-again). A 'glitch' is a type of minor, temporary problem. A glitch can be intermittent.
- lag: 'Lag' is a continuous slowdown. 'Intermittent' describes something that stops and starts, which could include intermittent periods of lag or complete unresponsiveness.
Word family
- intermittently (adverb): at irregular intervals; not continuously
Collocations
- intermittent connection
- intermittent signal
- intermittent problem
- intermittent fault
- intermittent pain
Example sentences
- "The Wi-Fi connection was intermittent, dropping every few minutes and then reconnecting, making it impossible to work online." Describing an unreliable connection.
- "Engineers struggled to identify the cause of the intermittent system crashes, as they only occurred under very specific, hard-to-replicate conditions." A recurring technical issue.
- "The forecast predicted intermittent showers throughout the day, so we packed umbrellas." A natural phenomenon.
Memory hook
An 'INTERMITTENT' problem is 'INTER' (between) moments of working, like a signal that 'MITTENS' (comes and goes). INTERMITTENT = between moments
When not to use
Do not use 'intermittent' for problems that are constant or always present. It specifically implies a stop-and-go pattern.
Fun facts
- The term 'intermittent fasting' refers to an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting.
- In medicine, 'intermittent fever' describes a fever that comes and goes, rather than being constant.
Related words
Explore more words
sporadic, occasional, periodic, infrequent, incessant, recurrent
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