smattering
noun
smat·ter·ing
ˈsma-tə-riŋ 
1
: superficial piecemeal knowledge
a smattering of carpentry, house painting, bricklaying—
Alva Johnston
Alva Johnston2
: a small scattered number or amount
a smattering of spectators
Synonyms
Examples of smattering in a Sentence
She only knows a smattering of German.
a smattering of guests at the art exhibit
Recent Examples on the Web
Gravity pulled the matter inward while light pushed it outward, and the struggle set off density ripples spreading outward from a smattering of initial dense spots in the soup.
—Charlie Wood, WIRED, 28 Apr. 2024
Including a smattering of previews over the latest weekend, the film finished Wednesday with a cumulative of $5.26 million earned from 862,000 spectators.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 25 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for smattering 
Charlie Wood, WIRED, 28 Apr. 2024
Including a smattering of previews over the latest weekend, the film finished Wednesday with a cumulative of $5.26 million earned from 862,000 spectators.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 25 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for smattering
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smattering.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near smattering
Cite this Entry
“Smattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smattering. Accessed 6 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
smattering
noun
smat·ter·ing
ˈsmat-ə-riŋ
1
: a small amount of knowledge
a smattering of French
2
: a small scattered number
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share