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
The first week of February concludes with a smattering of new music, featuring releases from LISA, Doja Cat and Raye, Anitta and more.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 7 Feb. 2025
Both have gray-brown bodies with a smattering of lighter cream and darker brown blotches.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2025
Under a 1947 law, decisions about which geographic names the US government will use are to be made by the secretary of the interior and the Board on Geographic Names, or BGN, a panel of officials from a smattering of government agencies.
—Paresh Dave, WIRED, 28 Jan. 2025
Car insurance costs increased in all but a smattering of states between 2023 and 2024, a new report finds.
—Alex Fitzpatrick, Axios, 28 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for smattering 
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Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 7 Feb. 2025
Both have gray-brown bodies with a smattering of lighter cream and darker brown blotches.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2025
Under a 1947 law, decisions about which geographic names the US government will use are to be made by the secretary of the interior and the Board on Geographic Names, or BGN, a panel of officials from a smattering of government agencies.
—Paresh Dave, WIRED, 28 Jan. 2025
Car insurance costs increased in all but a smattering of states between 2023 and 2024, a new report finds.
—Alex Fitzpatrick, Axios, 28 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 12 Feb. 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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