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
Researchers eventually found that the smattering of any other language that was encountered can lead to the AI devising a multi-lingual capacity, of sorts, in a somewhat mechanical way.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
The image of Watson being carted off the field with a towel draped over his head while a smattering of Browns fans cheered is a painful reminder of how messy the Watson era has been.
—Jason Lloyd, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
The smattering of novels are largely by Palestinian American writers, among them Susan Abulhawa’s Mornings in Jenin and Hala Alyan’s Salt Houses, both bleak multigenerational epics of exile and grief.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2025
Visitors get around the island by foot or on golf carts, and there are a smattering of seafood shacks and souvenir shops.
—Nicholas Derenzo, AFAR Media, 6 Jan. 2025
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Lance Eliot, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
The image of Watson being carted off the field with a towel draped over his head while a smattering of Browns fans cheered is a painful reminder of how messy the Watson era has been.
—Jason Lloyd, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
The smattering of novels are largely by Palestinian American writers, among them Susan Abulhawa’s Mornings in Jenin and Hala Alyan’s Salt Houses, both bleak multigenerational epics of exile and grief.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2025
Visitors get around the island by foot or on golf carts, and there are a smattering of seafood shacks and souvenir shops.
—Nicholas Derenzo, AFAR Media, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for smattering
Dictionary Entries Near smattering
Cite this Entry
“Smattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smattering. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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
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