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
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
The scene outside is electric, with American fans clad in stars and stripes, while a smattering of Bosnia-Herzegovina fans are decked out in their dark blue and yellow.
—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado,
Sacbee.com,
1 July 2026
Yet, despite a smattering of citations, the work is impossible to fact-check, much less peer-review.
—
Shanti Escalante-De Mattei,
ARTnews.com,
30 June 2026
The sea of light blue Uruguayan fans went silent as a smattering of Cape Verde fans around the stadium erupted and waved their flags.
—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
28 June 2026
The smattering of boos toward him that started the year have grown louder.
—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for smattering
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Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado,
Sacbee.com,
1 July 2026
Yet, despite a smattering of citations, the work is impossible to fact-check, much less peer-review.
—
Shanti Escalante-De Mattei,
ARTnews.com,
30 June 2026
The sea of light blue Uruguayan fans went silent as a smattering of Cape Verde fans around the stadium erupted and waved their flags.
—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
28 June 2026
The smattering of boos toward him that started the year have grown louder.
—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for smattering
Cite this Entry
“Smattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smattering. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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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