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
Founded back in 1878 by silver miners, Leadville was a boomtown buzzing with colorful characters and fortune seekers, who left behind a smattering of charming Victorian buildings and a wild, frontier spirit that still lingers.
—Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 27 Oct. 2025
The recording has generated a smattering of press in the UK, but Deadline is the first to reveal ABC’s involvement.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2025
The Oranje just missed the medal round, but defeated Cuba with a smattering of former big leaguers, including former Giants batting coach Hensley Meulens.
—Laurence Miedema, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025
What the weather forecasters will say with more certainty is that fall appears to have finally arrived with overcast skies, daytime highs in the 50s and overnight lows in the 30s and 40s, and a smattering of rain, mostly on Wednesday and Thursday.
—Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 22 Oct. 2025
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Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 27 Oct. 2025
The recording has generated a smattering of press in the UK, but Deadline is the first to reveal ABC’s involvement.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2025
The Oranje just missed the medal round, but defeated Cuba with a smattering of former big leaguers, including former Giants batting coach Hensley Meulens.
—Laurence Miedema, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025
What the weather forecasters will say with more certainty is that fall appears to have finally arrived with overcast skies, daytime highs in the 50s and overnight lows in the 30s and 40s, and a smattering of rain, mostly on Wednesday and Thursday.
—Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smattering
Cite this Entry
“Smattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smattering. Accessed 29 Oct. 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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