Word: intermittently (adverb)

Associations

Intermittently means something happens at irregular intervals, not continuously.

• Example 1: "The rain fell intermittently throughout the day." This means that the rain stopped and started again, rather than raining all day.
• Example 2: "The power supply was intermittently cut off." This indicates that the power was not consistently available; it was on and off.
• Example 3: "She exercises intermittently, whenever she has time." This means she does not have a regular exercise schedule; she exercises occasionally.

A well-known synonym for intermittently is "sporadically." The difference is that "sporadically" often suggests something happens less frequently or in a more scattered way than "intermittently," which can imply a more regular pattern of stopping and starting.

Substitution

You can use words like "occasionally," "periodically," or "from time to time" instead of intermittently.

• "Occasionally" suggests something happens now and then but may not have a specific pattern.
• "Periodically" implies something happens at regular intervals, which is more structured than intermittently.

Deconstruction

The word "intermittently" comes from the root "intermit," which means to pause or break. The prefix "inter-" means "between," and the suffix "-ly" turns the word into an adverb.

Historically, "intermit" comes from Latin "intermittere," where "inter" means "between" and "mittere" means "to send." So, it literally suggests sending a pause between actions.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you experienced something happening intermittently? What was it?
• How would you describe a situation where something happens continuously instead of intermittently?
• Do you prefer activities that are done intermittently or continuously? Why?